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Nipah Virus

What is the Nipah virus?

Nipah virus can infect pigs and other animals and can be transmitted from pigs to humans. It is considered a paramyxovirus—a group of viruses that induce a wide range of distinct illnesses— and was first isolated in Malaysia in 1999, resulting in a number of associated human fatalities. It was officially named in 1999 after the village in Malaysia in which a farm worker had died of the disease.

What are the signs of the disease?

In pigs, Nipah virus affects both the central nervous system and the respiratory system. Signs of the disease vary according to age. The disease becomes more severe in mature pigs. Signs include a non-productive cough, acute respiratory distress, and neurological symptoms such as tremors and convulsions. Morbidity can reach 100 per cent while mortality is low (three to five per cent). Testing of lung and brain tissue samples confirms diagnosis.

What is the origin of the disease?

Certain species of fruit bats (Pteropus) are a natural host of the Nipah virus and transmit the virus to pigs.

Is this species of bat present in Canada?

No. There are 19 species of bat in Canada, none of which are Pteropus species.

What are the symptoms in humans?

The specific route of infection has yet to be determined; however, it is thought that viral transmission occurs by direct contact with body fluids (saliva, urine, blood, etc.). Symptoms may resemble influenza and can include fever, severe headaches, muscle pain, dizziness, and vomiting. The disease may progress to encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis. More serious symptoms affecting the central nervous system include coma, seizures, and the inability to maintain breathing. The incubation period ranges from four days to two months. The fatality rate is about 40 per cent. Half of human infections are asymptomatic (show no symptoms).

Are there any treatments for Nipah virus?

There is no treatment or preventative vaccine for use in pigs or humans.

Is the Canadian livestock population and the public at risk?

There is likely no risk of contracting the disease in Canada. There are no species of fruit bats in this country that have been identified as possible hosts.

What is the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) role in preventing Nipah virus from entering Canada?

The CFIA regulates the importation of certain products to keep the country free of exotic diseases such as Nipah virus. Strict regulations are in place to prevent the importation of animals and animal products from countries where Nipah virus has been detected. These regulations are enforced through CFIA port-of-entry inspections.

Canada’s National Center for Foreign Animal Disease in Winnipeg is part of an international collaborative effort to study Nipah virus and is working on the development of a rapid diagnostic capability.

How to get more information?

Contact your Canadian Food Inspection Agency Area Office:

You can find your local Canadian Food Inspection Agency District Office on the CFIA Web site or by consulting the blue pages of your local phone directory.

September 2003
P0314E-03