No Cure, No Vaccine: Why Nipah Virus Is a Public Health Nightmare

The Nipah virus outbreak in two states – Kerala and West Bengal- has raised alarm among the health experts. Rare but deadly and unpredictable, Nipah is a kind of outbreak scenario public health systems

fear most – no cure, no vaccine, high fatality rates, and the potential to spread from animals to humans, sometimes also between people. First identified in 1998 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia, Nipah has since resurfaced in parts of South and Southeast Asia, particularly in India and Bangladesh. Each time it surfaces, even a single confirmed case is enough to trigger emergency surveillance and containment measures.

Why is Nipah extremely dangerous?

The high fatality rate of the Nipah virus ranges from 40 to 75 per cent in some outbreaks. Unlike many other viral infections that may lead to mild illness, Nipah mostly attacks the brain and lungs – causing acute encephalitis, or brain inflammation, along with respiratory failure, seizures, coma, and death. Symptoms, which usually begin with mild fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, and sore throat, can within days develop confusion, disorientation, and loss of consciousness – all the signs that the virus has reached the brain. Once neurological symptoms appear, the risk of death rises sharply.

There is no cure for the virus

According to experts, one of the scariest aspects of the Nipah virus is the absence of a specific treatment. Doctors can only provide supportive care, which includes managing fever, maintaining oxygen levels, controlling seizures, and treating complications in intensive care units. Antiviral drugs that are effective against other infections have not consistently shown benefit against Nipah.

This means outcomes depend heavily on early detection, rapid isolation, and access to advanced hospital care, resources that may not always be available during sudden outbreaks. “Strict implementation of infection control measures is imperative for survival during a Nipah virus alert,” said Dr Dip Narayan Mukherjee, Consultant, clinical microbiology and infectious diseases, CK Birla Hospitals. Dr Mukherjee added hygiene practices are extremely important – even among caregivers like doctors and nursing staff to protect from the virus. “Hand hygiene practices before and after each patient encounter, proper disposal of biomedical waste materials, and disinfecting all surfaces used by patients will help to significantly reduce the risk of transmission of Nipah virus to other patients while in the medical facility,” he said.Also read: Nipah Virus Explained: Why Even a Single Case Triggers High Alert

Why is there no vaccine to date?

Nipah’s presence has been known for over two decades, and despite that, there is no vaccine for public use to date. According to scientists, even though it is a matter of hours, developing vaccines for a condition that has outbreaks that are sporadic and mostly localized and small makes large clinical trials difficult. While several vaccine candidates are in development and have shown promise in animal studies, none have yet completed the human trials needed for approval.

How to protect yourself from the Nipah outbreak?

Since there are no vaccines, the best way to protect yourself from the virus is:

• Early surveillance
• Rapid diagnosis
• Strict isolation
• Community awareness

It is also important to avoid exposure to bats, not consume raw date palm sap, and follow infection control protocols. Until science delivers an effective cure or vaccine, Nipah will continue to stand as a stark reminder of how fragile global health security can be—and why preparedness matters more than ever.