Scientists at the University of Texas have invented a vaccine to protect patients from the deadly Nipah virus in just three days.
Nipah is a zoonotic (animal-to-human) virus that can be spread by contaminated food or direct contact with secretions. In India, the virus has killed over 20 individuals in three outbreaks in the last four years, including a 12-year-old child from Kerala.
In the same way that the Covid virus spreads by respiratory droplets, the Nipah virus spreads through respiratory droplets. It is, however, far more lethal, killing up to three-quarters of individuals who contract it. The World Health Organization has also identified it as one of the viruses most likely to cause the next pandemic.
