Abstract
Human infections with Nipah virus in Malaysia and Bangladesh are associated with markedly different patterns of transmission and pathogenicity. To compare the 2 strains, we conducted an in vivo study in which 2 groups of ferrets were oronasally exposed to either the Malaysia or Bangladesh strain of Nipah virus. Viral shedding and tissue tropism were compared between the 2 groups. Over the course of infection, significantly higher levels of viral RNA were recovered from oral secretions of ferrets infected with the Bangladesh strain. Higher levels of oral shedding of the Bangladesh strain of Nipah virus might be a key factor in onward transmission in outbreaks among humans.
Highlights
Human infections with Nipah virus in Malaysia and Bangladesh are associated with markedly different patterns of transmission and pathogenicity
We assessed the role that tissue tropism and shedding characteristics of Nipah virus (NiV)-Malaysia and NiV-Bangladesh might play in clinical outcomes and increasing transmission risk
We describe a ferret model for NiV-Bangladesh infection and our comparison of the characteristics of infections caused by NiV-Malaysia and NiV-Bangladesh in the ferret
Summary
Human infections with Nipah virus in Malaysia and Bangladesh are associated with markedly different patterns of transmission and pathogenicity. The different transmission characteristics of NiV-Malaysia and NiV-Bangladesh might be attributable to differences in infectivity and pathogenicity of virus strains and in tissue tropism, reflected by higher incidence of respiratory disease in NiV-Bangladesh–infected patients [14,21]. We assessed the role that tissue tropism and shedding characteristics of NiV-Malaysia and NiV-Bangladesh might play in clinical outcomes and increasing transmission risk. For this purpose, we used a mammalian infection model, the ferret, in which NiV causes fulminating systemic disease, with fever and neurologic and/or respiratory signs, similar to those in humans [15]. We describe a ferret model for NiV-Bangladesh infection and our comparison of the characteristics of infections caused by NiV-Malaysia and NiV-Bangladesh in the ferret
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