The deadly Nipah virus, which is carried by bats and occasionally infects people, is more likely to be transmitted from person to person when ...12HowNipahvirusspreadsfrompersontoperson:Lessonsfrom14yearsofinvestigationsDate:May9,2019Source:JohnsHopkinsUniversityBloombergSchoolofPublicHealthSummary:ThedeadlyNipahvirus,whichiscarriedbybatsandoccasionallyinfectspeople,ismorelikelytobetransmittedfrompersontopersonwhentheinfectedpatientisolder,maleand/orhasbreathingdifficulties,accordingtoanewstudy.Share:FULLSTORYThedeadlyNipahvirus,whichiscarriedbybatsandoccasionallyinfectspeople,ismorelikelytobetransmittedfrompersontopersonwhentheinfectedpatientisolder,maleand/orhasbreathingdifficulties,accordingtoastudyco-ledbyscientistsattheJohnsHopkinsBloombergSchoolofPublicHealth.advertisementThestudy,publishedMay9intheNewEnglandJournalofMedicine,is,todate,themostcomprehensiveevaluationofperson-to-persontransmissionduringNipahvirusoutbreaks.Theseoutbreaks,allinAsia,havebeenrelativelysmalltodate,butthefatalityratesattheoutbreaklevelhavebeenveryhigh,rangingfrom40to100percent.EpidemiologistsfearthatNipahvirus,adistantcousinofthemeaslesvirus,couldmutatetobecomemuchmoreinfectiousamonghumansandcauseacatastrophicpandemic.Thefindingssuggestthatreducingexposuretorespiratorysecretionsfrominfectedpatientsshouldbeapriorityinfutureoutbreakresponses."Ashealthsystemsevolveandpatientsgetmorehands-oncarefromclinicalstaffandundergomoreinvasiveproceduresinplaceswhereNipahvirusoutbreaksoccur,theremaybeopportunitiesforwidertransmissioninhospitals,"saysstudyco-seniorauthorEmilyGurley,PhD,associatescientistintheDepartmentofEpidemiologyattheBloombergSchool."Byunderstandingthefactorsthatinfluencetransmission,wecanreduceourfuturevulnerabilitytothisdangerouspathogen."Nipahviruswasfirstidentifiedin1999followinganoutbreakinMalaysiathatledtothedeathsofmorethan100peopleinapig-farmingregionandthecullingofmorethanamillionpigsfromlocalfarms.Nipahvirus'principalanimalhostsarefruitbatsthatarefoundwidelythroughoutmuc