Singapore banned the import of all live pigs from Malaysia from 1999 to 2017 due to the previous Nipah outbreak Experts are warning of the ...SkiptomaincontentMainMenuHomeHighlightsResearchCOVID-19PressReleasesNewsReportsPressRoomStaffAwardsQuicklinksNUSHomeEmailLibraryStudentStaffAlumniHomeHighlightsResearchCOVID-19PressReleasesNewsReportsPressRoomStaffAwards 16December2019|21:41Asia/SingaporeNipahviruscouldcausethenextmajorepidemicSingaporebannedtheimportofalllivepigsfromMalaysiafrom1999to2017duetothepreviousNipahoutbreakExpertsarewarningofthere-emergenceoftheNipahvirus,some20yearsafteritsweptthroughMalaysiaandSingaporeduringa1999outbreak.Thepathogen’sreturncouldresultanevenmoredeadlyepidemic,accordingtoarecentconferencehostedbyDuke-NUSMedicalSchool(Duke-NUS)andtheCoalitionforEpidemicPreparednessInnovations(CEPI).TheWorldHealthOrganization(WHO)hasidentifieditasanepidemicthreatinneedofprioritisation.TheNipahvirusisspreadprimarilybypigsandbats—specificallyPteropusfruitbats.Itcanalsobetransmittedthroughcontaminatedfoodanddirectlyfrompersontoperson.Withglobaltravelbeingmoreprevalentthanever,thediseasecanspreadrapidlyacrossborders.Overthepast20years,ithasspreadtoBangladeshandIndia,evenasitdroppedofftheradarofmostSingaporeans.“OutbreaksofNipahvirushavesofarbeenconfinedtoSouthandSoutheastAsia,butthevirushasseriousepidemicpotential,”saidRichardHatchett,CEOofCEPI,aNorway-basednon-profitorganisationthatdevelopsvaccinesagainstpotentialepidemicdiseases.“Pteropusfruitbatsthatcarrythevirusarefoundthroughoutthetropicsandsub-tropics,whicharehometomorethantwobillionpeople.Nipahviruscanalsobetransmittedfrompersontoperson,sointheoryitcouldspreadintodenselypopulatedtemperateareastoo.”FruitbatsareoneofthemaincarriersoftheNipahvirus,whichcanalsobespreadthroughpigsTheconsequencesaredeadlyforthoseinfected.DatafromMalaysia,BangladeshandIndiashowsthatbetween40percentand90percentofvictimswilldiefromthedisease.SingaporebannedtheimportofalllivepigsfromMalaysiafrom1999to2017inthewakeofthe1999o