Woman dies from ‘brain-swelling’ Nipah virus feared to be the ‘next pandemic’ as UK ‘closely monitoring’ outbreak

A WOMAN has died from Nipah, a brain-swelling virus spread by bats that has been dubbed the ‘next pandemic threat’.

The case was confirmed in Bangladesh, where the bug – which kills up to 75 per cent of people who catch it – strikes almost every year.

It comes just days after two cases were found in neighbouring India.

The deadly outbreak has triggered Covid-style airport health screenings across Asia, with UK health chiefs on high alert amid fears the virus could spread further.

The patient, believed to be aged between 40 and 50, first fell ill on January 21 in northern Bangladesh, after developing Nipah-like symptoms, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

She initially suffered a fever, headache, muscle cramps and loss of appetite before her condition worsened and she developed hypersalivation, disorientation and convulsions, according to the report published on Friday.

Six days later, on January 27, the woman fell unconscious and was rushed to a local hospital. She died the following day, after being admitted and testing positive for Nipah.

The UN organisation said had no recent travel history, but had been drinking raw date palm sap, a known source of Nipah infection, which can be contaminated by bats.

They said all 35 people who had contact with the woman were being monitored and had tested negative for the virus, and no further cases had been detected to date.

India’s federal health ministry last month said about 200 people were in quarantine after at least two cases of Nipah virus were detected in the eastern state of West Bengal, which shares a border with Bangladesh.

On Friday, the WHO repeated its warning that the risk of international spread was low.

Despite this, several nearby Asian countries, including Thailand and Malaysia have introduced Covid-style airport screenings in an attempt to curb the spread.

Meanwhile, the UK has said it is “closely monitoring” the situation, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) having urged Brits planning to travel to affected regions to be aware of symptoms and how the virus spreads.

“The risk for tourists visiting endemic countries is very low if standard precautions are followed,” it says.

“The risk may be higher for those participating in local practices such as date palm sap collection and consumption.

“If you develop symptoms while overseas in an endemic area, seek advice from a health professional immediately.

“If you develop symptoms after returning to the UK, contact your healthcare provider and make sure to mention your recent travel history.”

The virus, which inspired the Hollywood pandemic thriller “Contagion” featuring Gwyneth Paltrow, is transmitted from animals to humans – often from bats and pigs – and can also be spread from person to person.

Last year, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) included the virus in its list of 24 diseases considered the greatest future threats to public health.

Nipah has a high fatality rate of 40 per cent to 75 per cent, far deadlier than Covid-19.

Despite this, it’s very unlikely it will lead to a global emergency.

Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert at the University of East Anglia, said the Nipah virus cases are “unlikely to pose a significant risk of global spread” though countries should remain vigilant.

Detecting Nipah at borders can be difficult owing to the length of time it takes for people to develop symptoms after catching the virus, he added.

Prof Hunter said: “Although Nipah is a very serious infection, it is unlikely to pose a significant risk of global spread as the risk of person-to-person transmission is low.

“The R0 (the number of people that one infected person will pass on a virus to) is less than 1.0.

“Nevertheless, we cannot be complacent as we have seen recently, some viruses can mutate to increased infectivity.

“Also the long incubation period makes detection at borders very difficult.”

Scientists have also previously told Sun Health that Nipah could “absolutely be the cause of a new pandemic”.

No cure

It is spread by fruit bats who can transmit the virus to people via contact with infected bodily fluids like saliva or urine left on fruit.

These people can then go on to infect others by close contact including potential airborne transmission through coughing and sneezing. 

Nipah can kill by causing both severe respiratory problems and fatal brain swelling.

No vaccine or medication work against the virus, with treatment focussed on helping patients survive the symptoms while the body fights off the infection.

No cases of Nipah virus have ever been recorded in the UK.

However, the virus has a typical incubation period of between four and 14 days, meaning it is theoretically possible for a case to be imported into the UK. 

India has suffered several Nipah outbreaks since the virus was first detected there in 2001.

Outbreaks were reported in West Bengal in 2001 and 2007.

More recently, the southern state of Kerala has been a Nipah hotspot.

In 2018, 19 cases were reported of which 17 were fatal and in 2023, two out of six confirmed cases later died.

Nipah was first discovered in 1999 after an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia.

It has since been regularly found in Bangladesh, where it causes near annual outbreaks.

Experts believe there have been a rise in cases due to animals living in closer proximity to humans because of habitat loss.

What are the symptoms?

Initial signs of infection are subtle, making the virus difficult to contain, according to the WHO. 

First symptoms of Nipah infection include fever, headaches, pain, vomiting and a sore throat.

This is followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness and dangerous brain swelling and sometimes severe respiratory problems.

The most serious complication is encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis, which typically develops three to 21 days after infection, the UKHSA said.

“This is the hallmark of Nipah infection and is associated with a very high mortality rate,” the health watchdog added.

Nipah belongs to a family of viruses called paramyxoviruses, a group that includes pathogens like measles.