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A zoonotic virus meaning that which is transmitted from animals to humans, Nipah virus can also be passed on from one human to another through direct contact or through contaminated food. When Nipah virus infects people, it can cause a range of illnesses in infected persons. These symptoms can range from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory difficulties and encephalitis that can be fatal. This virus is also found to cause severe diseases in animals which would bring about big economic losses for those in farming. There have been only a few known Nipah virus outbreaks in Asia. However, the fact that this virus infects a wide range of animals and causes severe illnesses and deaths to humans is a matter of big concern. <keyword id="6546549" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="nipah-virus-history">Nipah virus history</keyword> For the first time, Nipah virus was recognized in 1999 in pig farms located in Malaysia. Since 1999, there had not been other instances of Nipah virus outbreaks in Malaysia. In Bangladesh, Nipah virus was recognized for the first time in 2001. Since then, there had been annual occurrences of Nipah virus outbreaks in that country. Periodical outbreaks of Nipah virus has been noted in eastern India also. The bat species called as Pteropus have been identified as the natural reservoirs for Nipah virus. These species of bats are known to inhabit countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Ghana, Madagascar, and the Philippines. Hence these countries are said to be in the zones carrying a high risk of Nipah virus outbreaks. Nipah virus and domestic animals In 1999, Nipah virus outbreak was noted in pigs and other domestic animals like sheep, goats, cats, dogs and horses. In the case of pigs, this virus is highly contagious. Pigs carrying Nipah virus are found to be highly infectious during the incubation period. This can last from 4 to 14 days. If pigs are noticed with unusual kind of barking cough or spotted with human cases of encephalitis, Nipah virus can be suspected. If this happens, serious measures must be taken to stop the spread of this deadly virus. Why is Nipah virus highly concerning? The fatality rate of Nipah virus infection is found to be 40% to 75%. This rate can, however, differ depending on the capabilities of the medical facilities available locally to treat the affected patients. About 20% of the patients who get out of Nipah virus infections remain with residual neurological effects like personality changes and seizure complaints. How WHO respond to Nipah virus? WHO has been taking several serious measures to stop the outbreak and spread of Nipah virus besides exploring ways to treat the Nipah virus affected people. WHO advice regarding the prevention of Nipah virus outbreak. There is a high risk of transmission of Nipah virus through the medium of fruits and fruit products like raw date palm juices contaminated with the saliva or urine of the infected fruit bats. This can be prevented by washing these products thoroughly before consumption. The other methods of preventing the Nipah virus spread is by peeling off these fruits and discarding the fruits that carry the signs of bat bites.

What Is Nipah Virus, causes, history and everything you should know

WHO says Nipah virus can be a potential epidemic in future. The outbreak of Nipah virus recognized in Bangladesh in 2004 was said to be caused by consuming date palm sap that was exposed to Nipah virus infected fruit bats. Nipah virus outbreaks were noticed in Kerala in India, Bangladesh, Singapore, Malaysia, and eastern Australia. The recent death of three members in the Nipah virus affected family in Kerala made the Kerala State Health Department to put the state on high alert. The nature of Nipah virus has not been ascertained so far. Symptoms and signs of Nipah virus infection in humans Human beings infected with Nipah virus can show up asymptomatic infection or acute respiratory infection ranging from mild to severe states in addition to encephalitis that can prove fatal. Some of the symptoms developed by persons infected with Nipah virus include headaches, fevers, muscle pain, sore throat and vomiting. They might also feel drowsiness, altered consciousness, and some neurological conditions like acute encephalitis or brain inflammation. In some affected individuals, Nipah virus can lead to severe kind of respiratory problems and acute respiratory distress. In some other serious cases of Nipah virus infection, the individuals might experience severe respiratory difficulties, atypical pneumonia, and seizures. Such conditions can also progress to the level of coma within a period of 24 to 48 hours. Convulsions and pulmonary signs can also be noticed in some infected persons. The incubation period of this virus is found to be between 4 to 14 days and in some cases, this can even drag on for as long as 45 days. The symptoms of Nipah virus are often confused with Japanese encephalitis. The outbreak of Nipah virus in Malaysia led to the death of more than 50% of the cases infected with Nipah virus. How to treat Nipah virus As on date, there are no drugs or vaccines available with us to treat Nipah virus infection. In fact, the WHO has identified Nipah virus as a priority disease for their Research and Development. Severe cases of Nipah virus infections are to be treated to prevent severe respiratory disorders and neurological complications including seizures. Since the vaccine to treat this deadly virus is absent today, prevention is the best way to stop the infection and spread of Nipah virus. Appropriate detergents must be used for a thorough cleaning of the infected pigs if any instances of Nipah virus outbreak is noted in animals, the farm must be immediately quarantined. In order to reduce the risk of Nipah virus outbreak the WHO suggests culling of infected animals, burial or incineration of the carcasses such steps can minimize the risk of transmission of Nipah virus to people. Nipha virus Treatment Treatment of Nipah virus is highly limited. Only supportive care can be given to the infected persons. There is no specific treatment plan available to the medical industry today. Extreme precautions are necessary for the healthcare workers dealing with Nipah virus infected persons and while handling the laboratory samples.

All you need to know about Nipah Virus Symptoms and Treatment

<ul><li>The southern state of <keyword id="28504" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala">Kerala</keyword> has been hit by the <keyword id="6544034" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="nipah-virus">Nipah virus</keyword>.</li><li>There have been nine deaths in Kerala’s Kozhikode due to high fever, and at least three have been caused by the virus. </li><li>The <keyword id="83655" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-health-ministry">Union Health Ministry</keyword> has sent a team to assist virus hit regions in Kerala.</li></ul><keyword id="6545212" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="nipah">Nipah</keyword> is on the <keyword id="43588" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Health-Organization">World Health Organization</keyword>'s list of viruses most likely to cause a global pandemic. It's the virus that inspired the 2011 movie <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sYSyuuLk5g">Contagion</a>. And just this past January, governments and philanthropists <a href="http://cepi.net/cepi-officially-launched">pledged</a> hundreds of millions of dollars to develop a Nipah vaccine because it poses such a big threat. The Nipah virus, one of the most deadly viruses on the World Health Organization list, has hit Kerala. The state health department has confirmed three deaths to be caused by Nipah virus in Kerala’s Kozhikode. At least nine people in Kozhikode died due to high fever, says a <a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/kerala-9-die-due-to-high-fever-2-affected-with-nipah-virus-118052100239_1.html">report</a>. What is Nipah virus? How does it spread? The Nipah virus is carried by fruit <keyword id="92255" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bats">bats</keyword>, of the Pteropodidae family, Pteropus genus, and was first identified during an outbreak in Kampung Sungai Nipah in <keyword id="8695" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Malaysia">Malaysia</keyword> in 1998. The virus can cause diseases to human beings and animals. The disease can be transmitted both from animal-human and human-human contact. The virus can spread to humans through food contaminated by bat saliva or urine. India has had two reported outbreaks of Nipah virus, both the times in <keyword id="6357783" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-bengal">West Bengal</keyword>, once in 2001 and then in 2007. The total death toll during the outbreaks was fifty of the seventy-one reported cases. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the fatality rate of the virus is <a href="http://www.searo.who.int/entity/emerging_diseases/links/nipah_virus_outbreaks_sear/en/">75%</a> on an average. Symptoms of Nipah virus-affected patients: After the exposure, the virus has an incubation period of 5-14 days. Here are the symptoms of Nipah virus-affected patients: <ul><li>3-14 days of fever</li><li>Drowsiness</li><li>Disorientation and mental confusion</li><li>Respiratory illness</li></ul>Long-term effects of Nipah virus on affected humans: <ul><li>Inflammation of the brain</li><li>Nervous diseases</li><li>Persistent convulsions and personality changes.</li><li>Latent infection and reactivation of Nipah virus.</li></ul> Prevention The only way of prevention is to stay away from infected animals and not to eat fruits that have fallen to the ground as they might have been infected by the virus. Cure and Treatments The virus, as of now, does not have a cure. The primary treatment for humans is intensive care. Nipah virus in Kerala With the confirmation of Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, and it leading to three deaths in Kozhikode, the Union Health Ministry has sent a team of experts to assist the state. In the past, the outbreaks were caused due to the disease transmission due to contacts from infected bats, pigs and people. Out of the three victims of Nipah virus, two are men and the third is a woman. The two men were brothers and the woman, a relative who visited them in hospital, said a report on <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/3-dead-from-mysterious-nipah-virus-in-kerala-centre-sends-team-10-points-1854897">NDTV</a>. People suspected to be affected by the virus are currently being monitored at the Kozhikode Medical College and a few other hospitals.

A rare virus carried by fruit bats may have just started to spread in India

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Sukree SukplangFruit bats are the natural hosts for the virus.</div></div></div><ul><li>At least nine people have reportedly died and 25 more have been infected in an outbreak of the Nipah virus in India. </li><li>Nipah is a deadly virus that can be transmitted between people. It has killed between 40% and 75% of infected people in past outbreaks.</li><li>Fruit bats are the natural host of the disease, and there is no cure or vaccine.</li></ul> At least nine people in southern India have died in cases linked to an outbreak of the rare and extremely deadly Nipah virus, according to a <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-44193145">report by the BBC</a>.Nipah is considered a newly emerging deadly virus - scientists only found out that it could jump from bats to other species, including humans, within the past 20 years. The disease is currently incurable and can be transmitted from person to person. It has killed between 40% and 75% of infected people in most outbreaks.These statistics indicate that Nipah has the potential to cause a deadly pandemic, which is why the World Health Organization <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/disease-x-who-lists-mystery-disease-as-potential-next-pandemic-2018-3">lists Nipah as an urgent research priority</a>, alongside <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-warns-of-deadly-disease-pandemic-2018-5#disease-x-7">diseases like Ebola and SARS</a>.Of the nine people who have died so far in the city of Kozhikode in Kerala, three cases of Nipah have been confirmed. Results from the other six are still being tested, and at least 25 more people have been hospitalized.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">AP Photo/Rob Griffith</div></div></div><h2>A little-known virus</h2>Nipah <a href="http://www.who.int/csr/disease/nipah/en/">first appeared in Malaysia</a> in 1998, when 265 people became infected with a strange illness that caused encephalitis, or brain inflammation, after they came into contact with pigs or sick people. In that outbreak, <a href="http://www.searo.who.int/entity/emerging_diseases/links/CDS_Nipah_Virus.pdf?ua=1">105 people died</a>, a fatality rate of 40%.Since then, there have been a number of smaller outbreaks in India and Bangladesh, with about 280 infections and 211 deaths - <a href="http://www.searo.who.int/entity/emerging_diseases/links/nipah_virus_outbreaks_sear/en/">an average fatality rate</a> of 75%.When the first infections jumped from pigs to humans, authorities killed more than a million pigs to try to stop the spread of the disease. Since then, however, researchers have identified several fruit bat species as the natural hosts of the virus. In some cases, humans have been infected after drinking sap from date palms that bats may have contaminated.The BBC reported that in the most recent outbreak, mangoes bitten by bats were found in a home where three of the deceased patients lived.Symptoms for Nipah have varied <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/nipah/symptoms/index.html">depending on the outbreak</a>. Many patients first experienced fever and headache, followed by drowsiness and confusion. Some patients have also shown respiratory flu-like symptoms while infected. In other cases, symptoms progressed to a coma within a day or two. People who survive the initial infection can have lasting health issues, including personality changes and persistent convulsions. In some cases, the virus has re-activated in patients months or years after exposure, causing illness and death.Close contact with sick animals or people can spread the disease - in the current outbreak, at least one of the deceased people was a nurse who treated sick patients. <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/49/11/1743/344101">A study of Nipah virus transmission</a> suggested that infected patients' saliva is likely to spread the infection.For now, the priority is to identify the remaining Nipah cases to ensure the disease doesn't continue to spread. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/octopus-weirdest-animals-rna-editing-super-powers-2018-5">Octopuses are officially the weirdest animals on Earth</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

A little-known, rare, and extremely deadly virus has emerged and killed people in India - here's what to know about Nipah virus

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Researchers have identified a virus that jumped from animals to humans in China.</li><li>A total of 35 human infections were recorded over two and a half years.</li></ul>Scientists in China have identified a virus that has infected humans for the first time, but the disease is unlikely to spread from person to person, based on the current evidence. The first person to fall ill with the newfound Langya henipavirus, or LayV, was a woman in Shandong province in late 2018, according to a peer-reviewed correspondence published in the <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2202705">New England Journal of Medicine</a>.The patient was a farmer with a history of animal exposure, so health officials suspected a possibility of disease spillover from an animal host. Testing later revealed that the virus was previously unseen in humans and may have originated in shrews.The woman's symptoms included fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, cough, and nausea, according to the report. Thirty-four more people — primarily farmers in Shandong and the neighboring Henan province — reported similar symptoms and tested positive for LayV between December 2018 and May 2021.Based on the information available, Langya virus poses a very low risk to the general population, infectious disease doctor Monica Gandhi told Insider. No one has died of Langya virus infection to date, and researchers have not found any evidence of human-to-human transmission."People should not be frightened about this spreading," said Gandhi, a professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco who was not associated with the NEJM report. "I think everyone is hyper-alert to new viruses, but I don't think this one is going to be a major threat." <h2>The virus was detected in wild shrews</h2>Researchers tested 25 small wild animal species for the Langya virus and found it was "predominantly detected" in shrews, according to the report. The authors concluded that the small, mole-like mammals may be a natural host for the virus.However, the connection between humans and shrews remains to be investigated, Gandhi said. It is not yet clear if something changed to push humans closer to shrews, or vice versa, or if another animal may be involved in the chain of transmission.Humans appear to be a dead end for the virus, but researchers said their sample was too small to be certain. They examined close contacts of nine patients infected with LayV and found no evidence of human-to-human transmission, and the people who got sick reported no common sources of exposure.<h2>Related viruses have caused small outbreaks with some fatalities</h2>The Langya virus is related to — but genetically distinct from — the Nipah and Hendra viruses, which have both caused fatal infections in humans. However, people who got sick with Langya virus had milder symptoms in comparison, Gandhi noted.All of the 26 patients found to be infected with LayV alone reported fevers. About half of them experienced fatigue, decreased white blood cell count, and cough. A few people experienced more severe symptoms, such as impaired kidney and liver function.People infected with previous henipaviruses in the past experienced similar fevers and flu-like symptoms, often with signs of respiratory illness. Fatality rates for Nipah and Hendra viruses range <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/nipah/about/index.html">between 40 and 70%,</a> according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Still, Nipah and Hendra viruses have caused relatively small outbreaks compared to COVID-19 — only seven human cases of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/hendra/index.html">Hendra virus</a> have been reported since 1994, and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/nipah/about/index.html">Nipah virus</a> infected some 300 people across Malaysia and Singapore in 1999.<h2>'We're in a different age now'</h2>Another key difference is that scientists today are better prepared to identify new viruses and make vaccines if necessary, Gandhi said."We're in a different age now, where I hope that we never have to go through what we went through with SARS-CoV-2, and where we can control things better," she said.

A new virus in China sparked panic after jumping from shrews to humans, but experts say it probably isn't as concerning as COVID. Here's why.

Los Angeles, Apr 8 () Exploitation of wildlife by humans through hunting, trade, and habitat degradation leads to close contact between the animals and humans, increasing the risk of spillover of viruses like the novel coronavirus which causes COVID-19, according to a study. The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, provides new evidence for assessing spillover risk in animal species and highlights how the processes that create wildlife population declines also enable the transmission of animal viruses to humans. "Spillover of viruses from animals is a direct result of our actions involving wildlife and their habitat," said lead author Christine Kreuder Johnson, from the University of California, Davis in the US. "The consequence is they're sharing their viruses with us. These actions simultaneously threaten species survival and increase the risk of spillover. In an unfortunate convergence of many factors, this brings about the kind of mess we're in now," Johnson said. The scientists assembled a large dataset of the 142 known viruses that spill over from animals to humans and the species that have been implicated as potential hosts. Using the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, they examined patterns in those species' abundance, extinction risks and underlying causes for species declines. The data show clear trends in spillover risk that highlight how people have interacted with animals throughout history, the researchers said. They found that domesticated animals, including livestock, have shared the highest number of viruses with humans, with eight times more zoonotic viruses compared to wild mammalian species. This is likely a result of our frequent close interactions with these species for centuries, the researchers said. According to the study, wild animals that have increased in abundance and adapted well to human-dominated environments also share more viruses with people. These include some rodent, bat and primate species that live among people, near our homes, and around our farms and crops, making them high-risk for ongoing transmission of viruses to people, it found. The researchers noted that at the other end of the spectrum are threatened and endangered species. These are animals whose population declines were connected to hunting, wildlife trade and decreases in habitat quality, the said. These species were predicted to host twice as many zoonotic viruses compared to threatened species that had populations decreasing for other reasons, according to the researchers. Threatened and endangered species also tend to be highly managed and directly monitored by humans trying to bring about their population recovery, which also puts them into greater contact with people, they said. Bats repeatedly have been implicated as a source of "high consequence" pathogens, including SARS, Nipah virus, Marburg virus and ebolaviruses, the study noted. SARSAR

Wildlife trade, habitat degradation driving virus spillover: Study

What Is Chamki Fever/Acute Encephalitis Syndrome Chamki fever or encephalitis is an inflammatory condition of the brain resulting in a variety of associated symptoms. Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) causes an acute-onset of fever associated with headache and most commonly reported in children and young adults. This illness brings about an alarming rate of morbidity and mortality. The recent outbreak of chamki fever in Bihar resulted in over 100 deaths in Muzaffarpur and its adjoining regions in the state of Bihar, India. Most notably, the similar outbreak of chamki fever resulted in about 700 deaths in 2014. Predominantly, chamki fever affects children and young adults in the age group of 1 to 10. The name chamki bukhar means fever condition associated with a seizure. Reports say that chamki fever or AES has spread in over 12 districts of Bihar including Muzaffarpur, Vaishali and East Champaran with Muzaffarpur declared as the worst hit zone. What is Chamki Fever or Acute Encephalitis Syndrome Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) or chamki fever is a highly serious public health problem in India. It manifests as an acute onset of fever and a seriously affected mental condition resulting in confusion, disorientation, delirium, or coma. The affected individual may experience seizures. Chamki fever can happen in any age and at any time of the year. Muzaffarpur, Bihar and adjoining areas in Bihar are litchi producing districts. This disease mostly spreads far and wide in the months between April and June especially in children who are undernourished with a history of consuming litchis from the neighboring orchards. Causes of Chamki fever or Acute Encephalitis Syndrome Viruses are said to be the main agents causing AES. However, other sources like bacteria, fungus, chemicals, parasites, spirochetes, toxins, and some noninfectious agents have also been noted to cause chamki fever as studied over the past few decades. Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is identified as the major cause of AES in India. The percentage of this agent ranges from 5-35 percent. Nipah virus and Zika virus are also said to be AES causing agents. In some cases. The other agents causing chamki fever include Influenza A virus, simplex virus, mumps, dengue, West Parvovirus B4, Nile virus, Epstein-Barr virus Chandipura virus, measles, enteroviruses, scrub typhus, and S pneumonia. Symptoms of chamki fever or Encephalitis Some of the prominent and most common symptoms of chamki fever include High temperature, Headache, extreme sensitivity to light, stiff neck and back, nausea, and mental confusion. In severe cases of chamki fever, seizures and paralysis can result. Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) As discussed so far, JEV is identified as the major cause of AES in India. This virus is spread by mosquitos and it is a kind of flavivirus. This virus belongs to the same genus like dengue, yellow fever, and West Nile viruses. So far no cure has been discovered for chamki fever. The treatment available now focuses mainly on relieving the severe clinical symptoms found in the affected persons and supporting the patients to overcome the infective condition. Treatment for chamki fever or Encephalitis The affected persons must be treated immediately to avoid severe complications. The patients must be admitted to the Intensive Care unit or ICU to prevent any kinds of major mishaps. Chamki fever can be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs including Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen and Naproxen Sodium which can bring down the temperature and headache. Majority of cases reported with chamki fever can get resolved in a matter of a few days. However, some severe cases can take about a few weeks to recover.

What Is Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (Chamki Fever) - All you need to know

<ul><li>On 9 October, officials from the health department of <keyword id="6355588" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajasthan">Rajasthan</keyword> confirmed that there had been 29 verified cases of the <keyword id="3155474" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zika-virus">Zika virus</keyword> in the state. </li><li>The first case of Zika was reported on 23 September in an 85-year old patient at the at the Sawai Man Singh Hospital in <keyword id="6354779" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jaipur">Jaipur</keyword>. </li><li>The virus, which is transferred through the Aedes aegypti mosquito, causes fever and rashes and is particularly harmful to pregnant women, as it can lead to <keyword id="903822" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="microcephaly">microcephaly</keyword> in newborn children. </li></ul>India’s has seen its fair share of <keyword id="44297" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Epidemic">epidemic</keyword> scares in recent years. In late 2014, the Ebola virus, which plagued West Africa for the better part of the year’s second half, reached New Delhi when a man tested positive for the disease after landing from Liberia. In 2017, three people in Gujarat tested positive for the Zika virus, which spread through South America in 2015 and 2016, affecting pregnant mothers. Earlier this year, in June, the state of Kerala was on high alert after 17 people died of the Nipah virus, which spreads from fruit bats. Last month, the Zika virus reared its head again, and this time it's quickly become the largest outbreak ever of the disease in India. On 9 October, officials from the health department of Rajasthan confirmed that there had been 29 verified cases of the Zika virus in the state. Following the news, the central government’s health ministry tried to assuage fears by claiming that the outbreak was under control. The first case of Zika was reported on <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/jaipur/rajasthan-health-department-on-toes-after-first-zika-casereported/story-nB3BCWc5nTLhIWxXqv82YN.html">23 September</a> in an 85-year old patient at the at the Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur. The virus, which is transferred through the Aedes aegypti mosquito, causes fever and rashes and is particularly harmful to pregnant women, as it can lead to microcephaly in newborn children. A majority of the current cases are limited to one particular area in Jaipur- Shastri Nagar. Since the first case was reported, the state government of Rajasthan has said it has tried to contain the damage while monitoring the full extent of the problem. It has placed more than 90 pregnant under watch, while checking 26,000 households and destroying 29,000 breeding grounds for mosquitoes in the locality, according to Veenu Gupta, a secretary in the state’s health ministry. For its part, the central government has also sent a team comprising officials from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme to Jaipur to keep tabs on the situation and assist state government officials. Around five labs have been set up all over the state to test blood samples from patients suspected of contracting the virus.

India is dealing with its largest ever outbreak of the Zika virus

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/centuries-old-hunger-stones-reappear-as-european-rivers-run-dry-2022-8">Climate change</a> may be driving the rapid spread of Candida auris, a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-real-is-the-last-of-us-science-behind-fungus-pandemic-2023-1">deadly fungus</a>, across the US.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heat-waves-are-dominating-summer-and-its-not-abnormal-anymore-2022-7">Extreme weather</a>, ocean changes, and land disruption have already helped spread more than 200 pathogens.</li></ul><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-candida-auris-deadly-fungal-infection-2019-4">Candida auris</a> is a yeast that kills, and in recent years it's spread to more than half of US states.The fungus is not likely to infect healthy people, but it can be deadly for the immunocompromised, and it's adept at jumping patient-to-patient in nursing homes and hospitals.Candida auris infections have spread through healthcare facilities at "an alarming rate," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/p0320-cauris.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Monday. A growing number of cases are resistant to antifungal medicine.<div type="image" title="candida auris" height="2651" width="3534" msid="98885901" hostid="261" sizebytes="246400"></div>A leading theory on this fungus's sudden emergence and wide spread is that it's fueled by climate change. As global temperatures rise, that selects for fungi like Candida auris which can survive higher temperatures, including human body temperatures.In fact, at least 218 infectious diseases have spread more widely among humans because of climate extremes — floods, drought, heat waves, hurricanes, ocean chemistry, sea-level rise, or other environmental conditions that are sensitive to climate change — according to a <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=92e71c310778c15d9e7212021fd85748865f608be630d6294903b53f4e010e22&amp;postID=62fbd1b623282137e3665116&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41558-022-01426-1">study</a> published in the journal Nature Climate Change last year.Another example is Nipah virus, a deadly disease carried by bats which were likely driven into human settlements when wildfires burned their Malaysian forest habitats in the 1990s."I can tell you that story with bats, I can tell you that story with birds, I can tell you that story with rats, mice, deer. And I can tell it to you with viruses and with bacteria. And I can tell it to you via heat waves, floods, wildfires, even hurricanes, things that actually force those species to move," Camilo Mora, a data scientist at the University of Hawaiʻi Manoa who led the study, told Insider.<div type="image" title="six bats clustered together upside down" height="1704" width="2272" msid="93928576" hostid="261"></div>By assessing historical records of infectious diseases dating back to the Roman Empire, Mora's team catalogued cases of climate extremes facilitating the spread of 58% of known human pathogens."I was not expecting that high of a number," Mora said.It's likely an undercount, he added, since it only includes instances that were documented in published papers. While not all of those cases can be attributed to the current human-caused climate change, 80% of the papers are relatively recent, published in the last 20 years. They build upon a mountain of evidence that the extreme changes brought on by rising global temperatures help spread infectious diseases through three major pathways.<h2>Pathway 1: Extreme weather and land disruption spread disease by pushing animals and people closer together</h2><div type="image" title="two people walk through floodwaters in residential neighborhood" height="1380" width="1841" msid="93928577" hostid="261"></div>In Siberia in 2016, an outbreak of anthrax was traced to a decades-old reindeer carcass unearthed by melting permafrost. That's an extreme case of climate change creating new contact between humans and infectious diseases, but the phenomenon is widespread.Extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent and severe with climate change, can displace animal and bird populations, driving them closer to humans. The Nature study found that vector-borne illnesses — the ones carried by animals and insects — were the most aggravated by climate extremes.Changes in land use — like deforestation — can drive animal populations into places people live, or bring humans into animal territory. In the eastern US, <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1523-1739.2003.01260.x">studies</a> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1247383/">suggest</a> carving up forest territories for development led to increased overlap between humans and ticks, facilitating the spread of Lyme disease.<div type="image" title="Patients rest on stretchers in the Cholera Treatment Center of Diquini in Port-au-Prince, Haiti." height="1666" width="2222" msid="93928578" hostid="261"></div>Extreme weather can put humans in close quarters with each other, as well. Hurricanes and cyclones often lead to outbreaks of cholera, norovirus, and other deadly illnesses. Such <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6195322/">outbreaks</a> were <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5438a6.htm#:~:text=Sporadic%20nontyphoidal%20Salmonella%2C%20nontoxigenic%20V,in%20evacuees%20from%20Hurricane%20Katrina.">well-documented</a> in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Flooding can expose people to water-borne diseases like vibriosis. A 1995 <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8824865/">analysis</a> even found that the spread of leprosy in Malawi was associated not with population density, but with rainfall.<h2>Pathway 2: Extreme heat and rain can supercharge pathogens</h2><div type="image" title="mosquito on human skin up close" height="991" width="1322" msid="93928579" hostid="261"></div>Mosquitoes thrive in high temperatures and heavy rainfall, which creates stagnant water where they can lay their eggs. The diseases they spread, like malaria, West Nile virus, and chikungunya, thrive as climate change increases temperatures and heavy-rainfall events across many parts of the globe.The pathogens themselves can grow stronger in extreme conditions, too. Warming oceans are creating fertile breeding waters for vibrio bacteria, which <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=bbd478e3232c9144f8da413773a8df22f22a397c919fbc5f5bff603ef71f9a03&amp;postID=62fbd1b623282137e3665116&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fismej2011154">show</a> <a href="https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/IAI.01006-08">signs</a> of increased virulence in heat, allowing them to cause more severe illness.Extreme heat waves, for example, can kill off many infectious viruses, bacteria, fungi, and the creatures that spread them. Whatever survives, however, is adapted to extreme heat — including the fever our bodies produce to kill off pathogens."The ones that survive are going to survive 42 degrees Celsius, meaning that when they come and infect us, one of the main mechanisms for us to fight off these diseases and these pathogens is not effective at all," Mora said.<h2>Pathway 3: Extreme weather weakens infrastructure and makes humans prone to disease</h2><div type="image" title="healthcare worker in t shirt uniform checks blood pressure of shirtless man in tent encampment" height="1531" width="2042" msid="93928581" hostid="261"></div>Humans and their infrastructure are more vulnerable to the devastating impacts of disease when they're compromised by extreme weather. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/covid-19/wildfire_smoke_covid-19.html">Wildfire smoke</a>, for instance, can irritate the lining of the lungs, cause inflammation, inhibit the immune system, and leave people <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/wildfire-smoke-may-have-contributed-to-thousands-of-extra-covid-19-cases-and-deaths-in-western-u-s-in-2020/">more vulnerable</a> to respiratory illnesses like COVID-19.Extreme weather events like heat waves can affect access to healthcare, by making it difficult or dangerous for people to leave their homes, or by destroying necessary infrastructure. Just this summer, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heat-waves-are-dominating-summer-and-its-not-abnormal-anymore-2022-7">heat</a> melted roads and airport tarmacs, buckled <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-62182880">railways</a>, and caused power outages.People affected by rapid weather variability or extreme events like hurricanes or fires might be stressed out, leading to heightened cortisol levels that weaken their immune systems. Malnutrition, expected to become more widespread as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-climate-change-hurts-our-food-shortages-vulnerable-to-crisis-2022-8">the changing climate affects the world's bread baskets</a>, has a severe negative impact on the immune system. Adapting infrastructure, emergency plans, and healthcare to these new extremes can reduce the spread of diseases. But the Nature study concludes that the pathogens boosted by climate threats "are too numerous for comprehensive societal adaptations." Instead, the authors write, their findings highlight "the urgent need to work at the source of the problem: reducing [greenhouse gas] emissions.""Keep in mind that this is not some weird alien that is causing climate change," Mora said, adding, "It's the contribution of small things that you and I do, multiplied by almost 8 billion people."This post has been updated. It was originally published on September 1, 2022.

Candida auris is just one infection fueled by rising temperatures. See how extreme climate helps spread disease, in 3 simple charts.

<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/future-of-healthcare"></a><div type="image" title="A person in a light-blue protective suit and helmet with face mask near laboratory equipment." height="1614" width="2152" msid="86242006" hostid="261"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Drugmakers big and small are storming into messenger RNA research.</li><li>The technology behind the first COVID-19 vaccines could help fight other diseases, including cancer.</li><li>Early leaders in the <keyword id="11976522" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mrna" source="Orion">mRNA</keyword> space include <keyword id="11901412" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="moderna" source="Orion">Moderna</keyword>, BioNTech, Pfizer, Sanofi, and GlaxoSmitKline.</li></ul>While the COVID-19 pandemic will be remembered as a scourge on humanity, there are silver linings. Perhaps the biggest success story has been coronavirus vaccines, which were developed in record time and have undoubtedly <a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2021/jul/deaths-and-hospitalizations-averted-rapid-us-vaccination-rollout">saved millions of lives</a>. Looking beyond the pandemic, the underlying technology behind the leading COVID-19 shots could also be useful for many other diseases, potentially leading to dozens of new treatments and vaccines over time. The first vaccines, developed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-pfizer-biontech-historic-coronavirus-vaccine-program-2020-11">by Pfizer-BioNTech</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moderna-startup-to-biotech-developing-coronavirus-vaccine-flagship-pioneering-2020-5">Moderna</a>, are based on a new technology platform called messenger RNA, or mRNA. While drug companies have been working on mRNA-based medicines for years, the COVID-19 vaccines are the first mRNA vaccines to be authorized and widely used. Now, scientists are eager <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vaccine-mrna-covid-drug-treatment-future-of-medicine-2021-5">to usher in a new era of medicine</a>, applying the learnings from COVID-19 to a range of illnesses, including cancer, HIV, and rare diseases.Only a few years ago, mRNA was seen as a promising but unproven idea in drug development. Now, the world's largest drugmakers - like Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and Sanofi - are building their mRNA capabilities as the pandemic has vaulted relatively smaller biotechs like Moderna and BioNTech to record valuations.<h2>mRNA taps into genetic insights over the past decades </h2>Many vaccines aim to deliver a crucial protein to cells to teach them to fight off a certain pathogen. The mRNA approach uses genetics to go a step back in that process.Our cells convert DNA to RNA molecules. RNA tells cells how to produce proteins. mRNA vaccines deliver those genetic instructions to build a certain protein, rather than the protein itself. Drug engineers can design mRNA therapies to control which protein to make and how much. That mRNA sequence is then placed in a microscopic blob of fat, called a lipid nanoparticle, which carries the genetic payload into our cells. Because mRNA therapies can theoretically be designed in the lab, mRNA holds the promise of addressing a wide range of diseases. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel often calls it "plug-and-play" technology, where scientists can design additional mRNA sequences with a higher-than-usual chance they'll work.<h2>The mRNA pipeline extends beyond COVID-19 </h2>The mRNA technology won't be limited to vaccines.Moderna <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/modernas-5-biggest-vaccine-programs-after-covid-19-2021-4">is already testing in human studies potential vaccines</a> against the flu, cytomegalovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and Zika. Vaccines against the mononucleosis-causing Epstein-Barr virus, the Nipah virus, and HIV are still in the earliest stages of research. The Massachusetts <keyword id="11908912" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="biotech" source="Orion">biotech</keyword> is also developing mRNA treatments for the Chikungunya virus and is exploring research into auto-immune disorders and cancer. The German biotech BioNTech originally focused on fighting cancer with mRNA. That's still reflected in its pipeline, where the bulk of the research is in oncology. The biotech is in the early stages of human studies testing its mRNA technology against a range of cancer types, including melanoma, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer among others. BioNTech also has some additional vaccine research. In partnership with Pfizer, it's <a href="https://biontech.de/sites/default/files/2019-08/20180816_BioNTech-Signs-Collaboration-Agreement-with-Pfizer.pdf">working on a flu vaccine that has yet to start human testing</a>. BioNTech <a href="https://biontech.de/sites/default/files/2019-08/20181104_20181105_BioNTech-and-the-University-of-Pennsylvania.pdf">also partnered with the University of Pennsylvania</a> in 2018 to work on vaccines for infectious diseases.<h2>Capturing the attention of drug giants </h2>Moderna and BioNTech are far from alone.While Pfizer partnered with BioNTech to develop the COVID-19 vaccine, the pharma giant <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fpfizer-goes-it-alone-to-expand-vaccine-business-beyond-covid-19-pandemic-11616491800">is hiring its own mRNA team</a> that will work independently from BioNTech. Pfizer has mapped out three waves of mRNA research: more infectious-disease vaccines, expanding to rare disease and cancer, and potentially going into prevalent heart and inflammatory diseases if there's more evidence the approach will work. Meanwhile, in August, the French <keyword id="11908913" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pharmaceutical" source="Orion">pharmaceutical</keyword> company Sanofi <a href="https://www.sanofi.com/en/media-room/press-releases/2021/2021-08-03-07-00-00-2273307">said it would buy Translate Bio</a>, a tiny Massachusetts biotech specializing in mRNA, for $3.2 billion. CEO Paul Hudson said the deal will allow Sanofi to work on mRNA in vaccines, immunology, oncology, and rare diseases.GlaxoSmithKline has also invested in its own mRNA program, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gsk-vaccine-research-covid-departures-uncertain-future-2021-4">which is led by its Rockville, Maryland vaccine research unit</a>. The British pharma company hasn't specified its long-term plans in mRNA, but started an early stage human study testing its own potential mRNA COVID-19 vaccine earlier this year. The leader of its vaccine unit has pledged GSK will be a leader in mRNA and also has inked a partnership with CureVac, a German mRNA specialist, <a href="https://www.curevac.com/en/2021/08/16/second-generation-mrna-covid-19-vaccine-candidate-cv2cov-demonstrates-improved-immune-response-and-protection-in-preclinical-study/">to develop a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine</a>.

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