Human testing of first Nipah virus vaccine begins
NEW DELHI, JAN 11: The University of Oxford has initiated human testing for a potential vaccine against the Nipah virus, responsible for outbreaks in Kerala, India and other parts of Asia.
With no existing vaccine, the trial utilises technology similar to AstraZeneca’s and Serum Institute of India’s Covid-19 shots.
Nipah was first identified about 25 years ago in Malaysia and has led to outbreaks in Bangladesh, India and Singapore.
With 52 participants, the early-stage trial, conducted in Oxford, will assess safety and immune response in individuals aged 18 to 55, a spokesperson for the University’s Pandemic Sciences Institute told news agency Reuters.
The first participants in the Oxford trial received doses of the vaccine over the last week. The shot is based on the same technology as the one used in AstraZeneca (AZN.L) and Serum Institute of India’s Covid-19 shots.
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“Nipah has epidemic potential, with its fruit bat hosts found in areas home to over two billion people. This trial is a step forward in efforts to build a suite of tools to protect against this killer virus,” said Dr In-Kyu Yoon, an executive at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
Oxford Vaccine Group is leading the trial, funded by CEPI, a global coalition that supports the development of vaccines against emerging infectious diseases.
Moderna also initiated a Nipah virus vaccine trial in collaboration with the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 2022.
Further trials are expected to follow in a Nipah-affected country.
In September 2023, India’s Kerala witnessed its fourth Nipah outbreak in five years, with six people infected and two deaths. The India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported six laboratory-confirmed Nipah virus cases, including two deaths, in Kozhikode district, Kerala.
The viral infection can cause severe symptoms, including acute respiratory infection and fatal encephalitis. Infected individuals can experience fever, headache, cough and difficulty breathing, with brain swelling likely to follow. Its fatality rate is estimated at 40% to 75%, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness spread to humans through contact with infected animals such as bats and pigs. Direct contact with an infected individual can also lead to transmission, although this route is less common, according to the WHO.
Those affected by Nipah virus infection may experience severe symptoms, including acute respiratory infection and fatal encephalitis.
The only way to reduce or prevent infection in people is by raising awareness about the risk factors and preventive measures to protect themselves.
-The India Today
