Bangkok: "Doctor Yong" has highlighted the potential threat posed by the Nipah virus, emphasizing that while it does not spread as easily as COVID-19, it is considerably more severe. Thailand has been advised to remain vigilant following recent developments.
According to Thai News Agency, Professor Yong Poovorawan, MD, a Royal Academician of Thailand and a member of the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University, analyzed the current situation of the Nipah virus after a cluster outbreak was identified in India. During a segment on the MCOT NEWS FM 100.5 program, he explained that the Nipah virus, first discovered in Malaysia, is classified as a highly severe disease with a mortality rate ranging from 40 to 70%, depending on local sanitation standards. Dr. Yong confirmed that, medically, the virus does not spread as easily as COVID-19 or the flu due to natural limitations that hinder severely ill individuals from widely transmitting the infection.
The Nipah virus is primarily transmitted to humans through fruit bats and has two main transmission pathways: contact with an intermediate host, such as pigs that have consumed contaminated fruit, as seen in Malaysia, and direct infection through consuming fresh sugarcane juice or fruit contaminated with bat saliva, as observed in India and Bangladesh. Human-to-human transmission can occur through close contact or contact with bodily fluids, including saliva, blood, and urine. The virus has a short incubation period of 4 to 7 days, and infected individuals typically experience high fever. While the Malaysian strain can lead to encephalitis, the South Asian strain is more likely to cause pneumonia or severe lung inflammation.
Thailand is considered a high-risk area due to its widespread fruit bat population, which serves as a reservoir for the virus. However, preventive measures can be taken by avoiding the consumption of bitten fruit and contact with wild animals. Although no vaccine or direct cure exists, and treatment remains symptomatic in quarantine, Thailand's advanced public health system is equipped with laboratory technology capable of rapid diagnosis within 4 hours. This capability is expected to aid in promptly controlling any potential outbreak.