The Nipah virus, which has a fatality rate of up to 90 percent, will be designated as a first-degree infectious disease by South Korea’s health authorities.
On Tuesday, TV Chosun News 9 exclusively reported that the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has decided to classify Nipah virus infection as a new first-degree infectious disease.
First-degree infectious diseases include highly contagious and deadly illnesses such as Ebola, COVID-19, and MERS. Under this classification, the government is authorized to receive immediate reports of cases, enforce isolation measures, and carry out emergency containment procedures.
The Nipah virus was first identified in the Nipah region of Malaysia in 1998. It has since spread in countries such as India and Bangladesh, resulting in over 220 deaths to date.
Nipah is a zoonotic virus that can be transmitted to humans through wild animals like fruit bats. There have also been concerns about the possibility of human-to-human transmission.
No Treatment or Vaccine Available… Prompt Decision by Health Authorities
After four to fourteen days of incubation, symptoms such as fever and muscle pain may appear. In severe cases, the infection can progress to encephalitis, seizures, and even coma. According to various reports, the fatality rate has been confirmed to be as high as 90 percent.
According to the report, no definitive treatment is currently available aside from symptomatic care using antipyretics and anti-inflammatory drugs. With no vaccine, the disease falls into the category of high-risk infectious diseases with limited medical intervention once infection occurs.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also classified the Nipah virus as one of the potential sources of the next pandemic. The virus is RNA-based and prone to frequent mutations, making it difficult to control if new variants emerge.
Through TV Chosun, the KDCA stated that Nipah virus infection will be newly designated as a first-degree infectious disease in South Korea. It also confirmed that diagnostic methods for the virus have already been developed and that the decision is a preemptive measure in case of a future outbreak.
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