Russia's health watchdog rules out Nipah virus threat in country

Russia’s public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor has said that the Nipah virus does not currently pose a threat to the country, citing the absence of the environmental and epidemiological conditions required for its spread.

The agency said that no cases of Nipah virus infection have been recorded in the Russian Federation. It explained that the virus’s primary natural hosts—fruit bats of the genus Pteropus—are native to tropical and subtropical regions and do not inhabit Russia, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media. 

Nipah virus, which has recently caused an outbreak in India, has a mortality rate ranging from 40% to 75%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The virus was first identified in Southeast Asia during outbreaks in Malaysia and Singapore in 1998 and 1999, where most infections occurred among pig farm workers and individuals in close contact with livestock.

Due to its capacity to cause severe disease and potentially widespread outbreaks, the WHO has classified Nipah as one of its top ten priority diseases, alongside pathogens such as COVID-19 and Zika.

There are currently no approved drugs or vaccines available to treat or prevent Nipah virus infection.

By Sabina Mammadli