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What is Nipah, the dangerous virus that is alarming Southeast Asia: Could it come to Europe?

2026-01-29 21:06:05Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

What is Nipah, the dangerous virus that is alarming Southeast Asia: Could it

A new alarm has been raised about a previously unknown virus. It is the Nipah virus, which is shaking Southeast Asia. Indian authorities have confirmed two new cases of infection, triggering an immediate response in neighboring countries.

Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia have already strengthened border controls and activated surveillance protocols for what the World Health Organization (WHO) considers a pathogen with "high epidemic and pandemic potential."

The infected patients in India are health workers and are in intensive care. The government has announced that 196 people who had come into contact with them have tested negative for the virus. The Health Ministry emphasizes that the current data does not indicate any risk to the safety of citizens and their families.

Nipah is not an ordinary virus. First identified in the late 1990s, it has a very high mortality rate. However, unlike some other recently identified pathogens, it is not transmitted with the same ease.

“It is a virus of animal origin, specifically from bats,” explains Federico Gobbi, director of the infectious and tropical diseases department at the Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital in Negrar (Verona) and associate professor of infectious diseases at the University of Brescia. “ Compared to other viruses with epidemic potential, the possibility of infection is relatively low. There is no transmitting insect and the spread is not immediate.”

Infection occurs mainly in two ways: through the consumption of contaminated foods, such as fruit or palm sap touched by infected bats, and through close human-to-human contact, a risk that usually only affects healthcare personnel or those caring for the sick without adequate protection.

Patients infected with Nipah initially exhibit flu-like symptoms, such as fever, nausea, sore throat, muscle aches, and headache. They may then develop more serious complications, such as atypical pneumonia with difficulty breathing and cough, or more commonly, acute encephalitis with rapid progression and high mortality.

The WHO has listed Nipah virus among its ten priority diseases, along with pathogens such as Covid-19 and Zika, due to its epidemic potential. Several epidemics have been recorded in Bangladesh since 2001, while sporadic outbreaks have been reported in India.

In Italy, as in other parts of the world, there is concern that Nipah could spread here. “There is currently no risk to Italy,” Gobbi reassures. “The chances of the epidemic reaching us are very, very small.” Even for those planning to travel to affected areas, the risk remains “extremely low.”

The key words are caution and awareness. Those traveling to these areas should be aware of the outbreak and follow basic prevention measures, such as avoiding foods that may have been contaminated by wild animals. “It is very important to continue monitoring ,” Gobbi warns. “ Local authorities are doing everything they can to control the epidemic, but viruses mutate, we must always remain vigilant.”

The situation is made more delicate as, at present, there are neither vaccines nor specific treatments for Nipah. Prevention and rapid response remain the only weapons. While Asia strengthens borders and monitors the situation, Europe follows from afar with caution, but without panic. Nipah remains a "special monitor": a dangerous enemy for those who are infected, but fortunately still limited in global spread. /La Stampa


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