Countering Nipah Virus: A Review of Pathogenesis, Countermeasure Design, and Biosecurity Challenges
Levi Woon
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.4258Keywords:
Nanotechnology, Immunotherapy, Biosecurity, AI, Machine Learning, Nipah Virus, Zoonotic InfectionAbstract
Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic pathogen classified by the World Health Organization as a priority pathogen with epidemic potential. Driven by distinct viral lineages in Malaysia and Bangladesh, this pathogen can induce severe respiratory illness and lethal encephalitis, with human mortality rates ranging from ~40% to ~75% across outbreak zones, depending on the strain. This review paper focuses on the zoonotic origins and molecular mechanisms underlying NiV infection while highlighting both current medical countermeasures and emerging translational avenues to counter NiV's capacity for host immune evasion. By mapping out how these novel therapeutic strategies target the host-pathogen interface, we aim to inspire future countermeasure development and improve clinical outcomes for this biosecurity-relevant disease.
References
Kerry, R. G., Malik, S., Redda, Y. T., Sahoo, S., Patra, J. K., & Majhi, S. (2019). Nano-based approach to combat emerging viral (NIPAH virus) infection. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine, 18, 196–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nano.2019.03.004
Lin, H., Vogel, H., & Zhang, H. (2026). A comparative review of artificial intelligence applications in small molecule versus peptide drug discovery. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 27(7), 3142. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27073142
Madhukalya, R., Yadav, U., Parray, H. A., Raj, N., Lakshmanan, S. S., Agarwal, V., Anand, A., Kumar, D., Das, S., & Kumar, R. (2025). Nipah virus: Pathogenesis, genome, diagnosis, and treatment. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 109(1), 158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-025-13474-6
Ploquin, A., Mason, R. D., Holman, L. A., Happe, M., Widge, A. T., Novik, L., Ortega-Villa, A. M., Yamshchikov, G. V., Gordon, I. J., Ola, A., Arthur, A., Costner, P. J. M., Mendoza, F., Saunders, J., Wang, X., Whalen, W. R., Utoh, J., Cunningham, J., Loftus, L. N., ... Dropulic, L. K. (2026). A structure-based mRNA vaccine for Nipah virus in healthy adults: A phase 1 trial. Nature Medicine, 32, 1401–1410. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-026-04265-1
Randhawa, V., Pathania, S., & Kumar, M. (2022). Computational identification of potential multitarget inhibitors of Nipah virus by molecular docking and molecular dynamics. Microorganisms, 10(6), 1181. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10061181
Renault, V., Humblet, M.-F., & Saegerman, C. (2022). Biosecurity concept: Origins, evolution and perspectives. Animals, 12(1), 63. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12010063
Pellett, P. E., Mitra, S., & Holland, T. C. (2014). Basics of virology. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, 123, 45–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-53488-0.00002-X
Downloads
Posted
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Research Archive of Rising Scholars
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
