Emerging Nipah Virus causes Outbreak in Bangladesh Linked to Bat Reservoir.

It has been over 10 years since a deadly paramyxovirus known as the Nipah virus emerged in Asia. Over the subsequent decade there has been multiple outbreaks. Some traditional practices like drinking raw date sap are hard to break. The year's first outbreak in Bangladesh (Jipurhat) this year resulted in death in all six affected individuals. The incubation is about 5-7 days and the attack begins with fever, changes in cognition and seizures. Health care workers are urged to wash their hands frequently when caring for patients with Nipah virus infection. Bats and ("flying foxes") get access to palm sap collecting jars and denial of such access is the major public health remedy currently applied. A recent publication from the CDC and the International Centre for Diarrheal Diseases in Bangladesh discusses a way to compare Nipah viruses. In the paper the full genome sequence of 2 viruses were reported and partial sequences from virus from 3 patients. A proposed standardized scheme evolved out of these genomic studies. Using the N-terminal region of the N gene open reading frame, there are 25 distinct nucleotides (nt) that "universally differentiate the genotypes." The M proteins are highly conserved among the genotypes from Malaysia versus Bangladesh and India. Phylogenetic analysis disclosed two major groups designated M for Malaysia and Cambodia and B for Bangladesh and India. What are known as the topologies and branching patterns in the phylogenetic trees are very similar for the comparison of whole gene sequences reported earlier. (Arankalle, VA, et al. Emerg Infect Dis 2011;17:907-9). So this new shortened method of classifying Nipah Viruses should work well towards standardization. It has been over 10 years since a deadly paramyxovirus known as the Nipah virus emerged in Asia. Over the subsequent decade there has been multiple outbreaks. Some traditional practices like drinking raw date sap are hard to break. The year's first outbreak in Bangladesh (Jipurhat) this year resulted in death in all six affected individuals. The incubation is about 5-7 days and the attack begins with fever, changes in cognition and seizures. Health care workers are urged to wash their hands frequently when caring for patients with Nipah virus infection. Bats and ("flying foxes") get access to palm sap collecting jars and denial of such access is the major public health remedy currently applied. A recent publication from the CDC and the International Centre for Diarrheal Diseases in Bangladesh discusses a way to compare Nipah viruses. In the paper the full genome sequence of 2 viruses were reported and partial sequences from virus from 3 patients. A proposed standardized scheme evolved out of these genomic studies. Using the N-terminal region of the N gene open reading frame, there are 25 distinct nucleotides (nt) that "universally differentiate the genotypes." The M proteins are highly conserved among the genotypes from Malaysia versus Bangladesh and India. Phylogenetic analysis disclosed two major groups designated M for Malaysia and Cambodia and B for Bangladesh and India. What are known as the topologies and branching patterns in the phylogenetic trees are very similar for the comparison of whole gene sequences reported earlier. (Arankalle, VA, et al. Emerg Infect Dis 2011;17:907-9). So this new shortened method of classifying Nipah Viruses should work well towards standardization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]