The Nipah virus has drawn global attention following reports of infections and deaths in India, raising concern about another potential health threat.
While health officials stress that Nipah is far less contagious than COVID-19, its fatality rate is significantly higher, making it one of the world’s most lethal viruses.
The Nipah virus is an RNA virus from the Paramyxoviridae family and belongs to the Henipavirus genus, the same group as the Hendra virus. COVID-19, by contrast, is caused by a coronavirus that primarily affects the respiratory system.
Nipah infection often begins with flu-like symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, muscle pain, and sore throat. In severe cases, the virus attacks the nervous system, leading to dizziness, confusion, seizures, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, or coma within 24 to 48 hours.
Survivors may experience long-term neurological problems, including personality changes or persistent seizures.
COVID-19 typically presents with fever and respiratory symptoms such as cough and breathing difficulty. While many cases are mild, severe infections can result in pneumonia and death.
Health experts note that Nipah does not spread as easily as COVID-19. It does not transmit efficiently through the air and usually requires direct contact with bodily fluids.
The virus is primarily transmitted from animals to humans, with fruit bats acting as natural hosts. Infection can occur through contact with infected animals such as pigs or by consuming food contaminated with bat saliva or urine.
Human-to-human transmission has been documented through close contact with bodily fluids, including blood and saliva.
COVID-19 spreads far more efficiently, mainly through respiratory droplets released when infected individuals cough or sneeze, as well as through contact with contaminated surfaces.
What has alarmed global health authorities is Nipah’s extremely high fatality rate. Past outbreaks have shown mortality rates ranging from 40% to 75%, depending on healthcare capacity, far exceeding the fatality rate seen with COVID-19.