The deadly Nipah virus can cause acute encephalitis upon infection and has a high fatality rate, with no commercialized vaccines or treatments. (iClickArt) Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution of this image is prohibited under copyright law.

By Margareth Theresia

The National Institute of Health (NIH) is speeding up its development of treatments and vaccines against the deadly Nipah virus, a high-risk zoonotic disease with a fatality rate as high as 75%.

At the inaugural Science Media Academy on March 17 at HJ Business Center in Seoul's Jongno-gu District, the NIH announced as its top priority treatments for eight diseases including Nipah, COVID-19 and MERS. The plan is to complete relevant technologies by 2030 to raise the responsiveness of the national disease control system.

The focus of research is on therapeutic agenda, which are in the substance discovery phase. Nonclinical evaluations are planned in 2028 and advancement of the production process after 2030.

The NIH will incorporate new technologies such as mRNA in vaccines to conduct clinical trials by 2029. This aims to go beyond mere drug advancement by setting up a vaccine development system to immediately respond to an outbreak of infectious disease.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) on March 17 presents its strategy to develop treatments and vaccines for Nipah virus at the inaugural Science Media Academy held at HJ Business Center in Seoul's Jongno-gu District. (NIH)

Since the reporting of the first case in late 1998 in Malaysia, Nipah has occurred in countries such as India and Bangladesh with a fatality rate of 40%–75%. Fears over the virus entering Korea are growing after cases were confirmed in January given the lack of commercialized treatments or vaccines available.

Unlike COVID-19, Nipah virus is not a respiratory disease and spreads through the consumption of contaminated food such as raw date sap, contact with infected animals such as fruit bats and pigs, or close contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.

Early symptoms of infection are similar to those of the common cold such as fever and headache. If the condition reaches a severe stage, neurological symptoms like acute encephalitis could appear and lead to death.

Due to this high risk, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in September last year classified Nipah as a Class 1 infectious disease and designated it a target of public health management.

"Nipah virus is a high-risk infectious disease with the potential to evolve into a future pandemic," NIH Director Nam Jae Hwan said. "We will do everything to secure technology for vaccines and responses to protect public safety from the threat of future infectious diseases by expanding cooperation with domestic and foreign institutes."

margareth@korea.kr