Latest news with #zoonoticdisease
Telegraph
09-07-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Two new Nipah cases spook India
Kerala is on edge after a teenager died from Nipah virus, a zoonotic disease that inspired the Hollywood blockbuster 'Contagion' and has a fatality rate as high as 75 per cent. The outbreak has sparked widespread concern with local media reporting that dozens of potential contacts are in hospital awaiting test results and hundreds are being monitored. The 18-year-old girl, who died last week, is one of two people known to have contracted the virus in the southern Indian state this month. The second, a 38-year-old woman, is in a critical condition in hospital. The cases have raised alarm bells as the World Health Organization (WHO) considers the virus a priority pathogen with 'serious potential' to drive mass outbreaks. Earlier this year, the UK Health Security Agency also included Nipah in its list of 24 diseases considered a major threat to public health. The virus is spread by bats but can spread between people through close contact. However, according to Kerala's health minister, Veena George, there is not yet evidence of human-to-human transmission in the current outbreak. Ms George said that of those contacts being tested, 46 people have so far been confirmed negative. She did not share how many were still waiting for test results but local media have put the number of potential contacts at 485 – though not all are being tested. This includes 192 people in Malappuram district, 114 in Kozhikode, 176 in Palakkad, two in Ernakulam, and one in Kannur. Ms George said that investigation had not found a link between the two known cases and that the women lived roughly 50 miles apart, in neighbouring districts. 'No human to human transmission has been confirmed,' Ms George told The Telegraph on Wednesday. 'It could definitely be two separate spillover events.' Nipah is carried by bats, and researchers have repeatedly found the virus in Kerala's large bat population. The state is home to more than 40 species of bats, but rapid development and urbanisation is pushing the flying mammals into ever closer contact with humans, escalating the spillover risk. The virus first infected people in the state in 2018, in a devastating outbreak where 21 of the 23 people infected died. A string of sporadic cases have since been detected, most recently in 2024. 'There could be multiple reasons for regular spillover reports from Kerala. But first and foremost, I think, is the strength of our surveillance system,' said Ms George. 'It should be noted that the presence of the virus has been demonstrated in many parts of the country, but Kerala can identify the human cases.' The latest 18-year-old victim lived in a house 'near to a very big bat colony', which may explain how she contracted the disease, said Ms George. 'We interviewed the family members extensively, and we are conducting studies to identify the presence of viral RNA and antibodies in bats from the roost,' Ms George said. The state is also racing to identify more potential cases to cut the threat of another major outbreak. So far 485 people have been identified as potential contacts, with the police helping health officials by sharing CCTV and mobile phone data to identify and then track down individuals. Those categorised as 'high risk' have been told to quarantine at home for 21 days, while some schools have also closed and switched to online lessons. Ms George said that although there are so far no signs that the virus – which spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of infected animals or people – is circulating undetected, she remains on edge. 'We haven't crossed the maximum incubation period yet [up to 45 days]. We will be somewhat relieved if no new infections are detected by the middle of July,' she told the Telegraph. 'At the moment, all samples of the contacts tested are negative. But it's a matter of time until all of the contacts cross the maximum incubation period without infection.' According to the WHO, it usually takes between four and 14 days to show any signs of a Nipah infection after coming into contact with the disease. But in rare instances, this incubation period can stretch to as long as 45 days. Symptoms can vary, but often cases start with a fever, headache or myalgia before developing into dizziness or confusion – which signals encephalitis, or brain inflammation. In severe cases, people can become comatose within 24 hours, and the case fatality rate ranges from 40 per cent to 75 per cent. But the virus can also have lifelong impacts for those who survive – roughly 20 per cent of this cohort are left with long-term neurological conditions, including personality changes or seizure disorders. Still, despite being deemed by the WHO as a priority pathogen with 'serious potential' to drive mass outbreaks, there are still no vaccines or drugs to specifically target the virus. Researchers are racing to change this – including a team at the University of Oxford, who are developing a vaccine using similar technology to their Covid-19 jab. It is currently in phase 1 clinical trials. Moderna in the US and Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Limited in India are among other groups working on a Nipah virus shot. Most have some funding from the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which has committed over $100 million for Nipah research.
Zawya
07-07-2025
- Health
- Zawya
A Continental Imperative: Launch of Africa's One Health and Climate Health Strategies
In a landmark moment for public health and environmental stewardship, AU-IBAR and Africa CDC have jointly launched two pivotal strategies: the One Health Zoonotic Disease Prevention and Control Strategy (2025–2030) and the Africa CDC Strategic Framework on Climate Change and Health (2025–2029). These frameworks mark a unified, cross-sectoral approach to tackling the interlinked challenges of zoonotic disease and climate change on the continent. Speaking at the launch in Addis Ababa, Dr. Huyam Salih, Director of AU-IBAR, urged stakeholders to move from intention to implementation: 'Let us move beyond declarations—now is the time for united, cross-sectoral action. I call on all stakeholders to embrace the One Health Strategy as a continental imperative. Together, we must forge a new era of health security, where animal, human, and environmental health are protected as one. Africa's resilience depends on it, and our future demands it.' The strategies were developed through a collaborative, evidence-based process engaging Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), technical partners, and civil society. The goal is clear: to build a resilient Africa that manages risks proactively rather than reactively. The Deputy Director General of Africa CDC emphasized that the time for talk is over: 'These frameworks are more than strategy documents; they are Africa's collective commitment to protecting our people, our ecosystems, and our future. We must move from rhetoric to results. The time to act is now, and the responsibility rests with all of us.' Adding to the sense of urgency, Ethiopia's Minister of Health reminded participants of the interconnectedness of Africa's well-being: 'Our health, ecosystems, and economies are deeply intertwined. We cannot protect one without investing in all. This is a call for action, not another declaration.' With over 75% of emerging human diseases originating from animals, and climate change exacerbating health risks, the new strategies offer a roadmap to strengthen surveillance, improve early warning systems, and integrate public, animal, and environmental health responses. These frameworks serve as a rallying cry to governments, RECs, donors, research institutions, and civil society organizations to come together under a shared vision. As the continent faces an increasingly uncertain health landscape, these strategies offer not just guidance, but hope—and demand decisive, coordinated action. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The African Union – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists discover two brand new viruses in bats in China – and warn they could spill over to humans
Infections that could trigger severe brain inflammation and respiratory disease have been discovered in bats in China. Researchers have found two new viruses in the flying mammals that are closely related to the deadly Nipah and Hendra viruses – both of which are fatal to humans. Experts have raised urgent concerns about the potential of these viruses to jump to local people. And there is currently no medication or vaccine to treat either of them. 'These findings broaden our understanding of the bat kidney infectome, underscore critical zoonotic threats and highlight the need for comprehensive, full-spectrum microbial analyses of previously understudied organs to better assess spillover risks from bat populations,' the researchers said. For their study, the team from the Yunnan Institute of Endemic Disease Control and Prevention analysed the kidneys of 142 bats from 10 species collected over four years. Using advanced genetic sequencing they found 22 viruses – 20 of them never seen before. Two of the most concerning were new henipaviruses, closely related to the Nipah and Hendra viruses. These were found in fruit bats (Rousettus leschenaultia) living near orchards close to human villages in Yunnan. Since henipaviruses can spread through urine, the study raises concerns about contaminated fruit and the risk of these viruses jumping to humans. The team published their findings in the journal Plos Pathogens. They wrote: 'By analysing the infectome of bat kidneys collected near village orchards and caves in Yunnan, we uncovered not only the diverse microbes bats carry, but also the first full-length genomes of novel bat-borne henipaviruses closely related to Hendra and Nipah viruses identified in China.' They said their findings raise 'urgent concerns about the potential for these viruses to spill over into humans or livestock.' Bats are natural reservoirs for a wide range of microorganisms, including some that have previously been transmitted to humans. One theory is that the coronavirus could have originated in bats and then spilled over into people, triggering the global Covid pandemic. However, others argue it came from a 'lab leak' or from other animals being sold at a wet market. The animals have also been linked to Ebola and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreaks. 'Bat-borne viruses are transmitted to human either direct contact with bats or via so-called 'intermediate' hosts, often linked to the ingestion of food or water contaminated with bat saliva, faeces or urine,' the researchers added. They warned: 'Nipah virus are lethal pathogens that cause severe disease in humans, including acute respiratory distress and encephalitis, with a mortality rate of 35-75 per cent. 'Similarly, Hendra virus has caused multiple fatal outbreaks in humans and horses, including the death of veterinarians.' Separately, experts have warned that dozens of viruses – some of which have the potential to spill over into humans – have been detected mixing in animals at fur farms in China, sparking new fears of a fresh pandemic outbreak. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, scientists have been warning that farming mammals such as minks for their fur could make it easier for new viruses to cross over from the wild and spark fresh outbreaks. Virologist Edward Holmes, who has led research into Covid-19, told AFP he felt that the global fur farming industry 'is one most likely ways by which a new pandemic will start'. 'Personally, I think the fur farming industry globally should be closed down,' he added. 'I strongly believe that the wildlife trade was responsible for the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. 'And I think that the related fur farming trade could easily result in another pandemic virus.' It might sound bat crazy, but these disease-riddled cave-dwelling creatures of the night might hold the key to curing CANCER They have become much maligned due to their links to the Covid pandemic - but bats may hold the secret to curing cancer. A new study found some species contain more than 50 unique genes that may make them immune to tumors - even though they live extraordinarily long lives. Bats have mystified scientists for years due to their unique ability to live normally with viruses that kill or sicken most other mammals - and people. Yet this ability to tolerate viruses put them at the center of questions about the origin of Covid, which is thought to have emerged in the animals. Researchers hope that by developing a better understanding of their miracle immune systems, they can develop ways to prevent and treat cancer in people.
