Kathmandu. Nipah virus has been previously detected in bats in Kerala. Most infections are thought to come from contact with an infected animal, either the fruit bats themselves or from intermediate animals such as pigs, as in the first detected outbreak in Malaysia. But there are interesting differences between outbreaks.

The natural reservoir for Nipah virus and related members of the genus Henipavirus are fruit bats of the genus Pteropus. Nipah virus emerged in Malaysia in 1998 as a porcine neurologic and respiratory disease that spread to humans who had contact with live, infected pigs. Nipah virus (NiV) can spread to people from: Direct contact with infected animals, such as bats or pigs, or their body fluids (such as blood, urine or saliva) Consuming food products that have been contaminated by body fluids of infected animals (such as palm sap or fruit contaminated by an infected bat)