Clinical Features of Nipah Virus Encephalitis among Pig Farmers in Malaysia

Abstract

Nipah virus causes a severe, rapidly progressive encephalitis with a high mortality rate and features that suggest involvement of the brain stem. The infection is associated with recent contact with pigs.

A Golden Hamster Model for Human Acute Nipah Virus Infection

“…In the case of human infection, the CNS symptoms and signs were very prominent and the CNS was also the most severely affected organ. 3,12 Evidence of extravascular tissue infection was noted in non-CNS organs although to a much lesser extent. In the lung, in inflamed areas adjacent to vasculitic blood vessels, occasional inflammatory cells showed the presence of viral antigen and genome.…”

“…[1][2][3] Patients developed symptoms ranging from fever and headache to a severe acute febrile encephalitic syndrome. Although the majority of symptomatic patients who survived the acute infection eventually recovered without serious sequelae, a small number were readmitted with relapsed encephalitis months and years later.…”

Nipah virus infection: current scenario

“…NiV caused severe, rapidly progressive encephalitis that carried a high mortality rate [29]. Based on the time interval between last exposure to pigs and subsequent onset of illness, the incubation period ranged from 4 days to 2 months with more than 90 % of patients giving a history of 2 weeks or less.…”

“…More than 50 % of the patients had a reduced level of consciousness and prominent brain-stem dysfunction. Older patients, especially those having diabetes mellitus and those with severe brain-stem involvement carried a poorer prognosis [29]. The symptoms observed in patients during Siliguri outbreak were fever, headache and myalgia, vomiting, altered sensorium, respiratory symptoms (tachypnea to acute respiratory distress) and involuntary movements or convulsions.…”

Nipah Virus: A Public Health Concern

“…Infected people initially develop influenza-like symptoms of fever, headaches, myalgia, vomiting and sore throat. This can be followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness 27 and neurological signs that indicate acute encephalitis. Some people can also experience atypical pneumonia and severe respiratory problems, including acute respiratory distress.…”