Nipah virus infection. Overview; Symptoms; Treatment; More. Overview. Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness that is transmitted to people from animals, and ...Home/Healthtopics/NipahVirusInfectionOverviewNipahvirusinfectionisazoonoticillnessthatistransmittedtopeoplefromanimals,andcanalsobetransmittedthroughcontaminatedfoodordirectlyfromperson-to-person.Ininfectedpeople,itcausesarangeofillnessesfromasymptomatic(subclinical)infectiontoacuterespiratoryillnessandfatalencephalitis.Theviruscanalsocauseseverediseaseinanimalssuchaspigs,resultinginsignificanteconomiclossesforfarmers.AlthoughNipahvirushascausedonlyafewknownoutbreaksinAsia,itinfectsawiderangeofanimalsandcausesseverediseaseanddeathinpeople.DuringthefirstrecognizedoutbreakinMalaysia,whichalsoaffectedSingapore,mosthumaninfectionsresultedfromdirectcontactwithsickpigsortheircontaminatedtissues.Transmissionisthoughttohaveoccurredviaunprotectedexposuretosecretionsfromthepigs,orunprotectedcontactwiththetissueofasickanimal.InsubsequentoutbreaksinBangladeshandIndia,consumptionoffruitsorfruitproducts(suchasrawdatepalmjuice)contaminatedwithurineorsalivafrominfectedfruitbatswasthemostlikelysourceofinfection.Human-to-humantransmissionofNipahvirushasalsobeenreportedamongfamilyandcaregiversofinfectedpatients.  SymptomsHumaninfectionsrangefromasymptomaticinfectiontoacuterespiratoryinfection,seizuresandfatalencephalitis.Infectedpeopleinitiallydevelopsymptomsthatincludefever,headaches,myalgia,vomitingandsorethroat.Thiscanbefollowedbydizziness,drowsiness,alteredconsciousness,andneurologicalsignsthatindicateacuteencephalitis.Somepeoplecanalsoexperienceatypicalpneumoniaandsevererespiratoryproblems,includingacuterespiratorydistress.Encephalitisandseizuresoccurinseverecases,progressingtocomawithin24to48hours.Theincubationperiodisfrom4to14daysbutanincubationperiodaslong as45dayshasbeenreported.Mostpeoplemakeafullrecovery,althoughsomeareleftwithresidualneurologicalconditionsafteracuteencephalitis.Somecasesofrelapsehavebeenreporte