Experts worry that a “brain-swelling” virus that killed a young girl could be the cause of the “next pandemic.”

In Malappuram, a city in Kerala, India, the 18-year-old tested positive for the Nipah virus, which kills almost two-thirds of affected individuals.

Fruit bats carry the virus, which is extremely dangerous since it belongs to the same viral family as measles and is spread to humans by their saliva and droppings.

The unidentified woman had acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) on July 2, which is an inflammation of the brain that frequently manifests as fever and neurological symptoms.

Authorities have also confirmed that a second instance involving a critically ill 38-year-old Palakkad woman had occurred.

According to The Hindu, the woman is receiving treatment at the city’s private hospital Perinthalmanna.

425 individuals from three districts have been identified as the two women’s contacts; these individuals may have met them during a social gathering.

Twelve of these individuals, five of whom are in critical care, are undergoing treatment at Malappuram.

To determine the potential number of sick individuals, authorities are still awaiting complete test results.

One of the people undergoing therapy has tested negative for the illness, which is significant.

The virus epidemic in Kerala in 2023 served as the inspiration for the Hollywood pandemic thriller “Contagion.”  

Researchers discovered two new viruses last month that are closely related to the deadly Hendra virus and Nipah virus.

Chinese bats have been found to carry the viruses, which can cause respiratory illnesses and serious brain inflammation.

The possibility that these diseases could spread to locals has caused experts to express grave concerns.

In Yunnan, these were discovered in fruit bats (Rousettus leschenaultia) that resided adjacent to orchards near human settlements.

The study raises worries about tainted fruit and the possibility of henipaviruses spreading to humans because they can be conveyed through urine.

The Plos Pathogens publication revealed the team’s findings.

They wrote: “By analysing the infectome of bat kidneys collected near village orchards and caves in Yunnan, we uncovered not only the diverse microbes bats carry, but also the first full-length genomes of novel bat-borne henipaviruses closely related to Hendra and Nipah viruses identified in China.”

They said their findings raise “urgent concerns about the potential for these viruses to spill over into humans or livestock.”

Numerous bacteria, some of which have been known to infect humans in the past, are found in bats naturally.

According to one idea, the global Covid pandemic may have been caused by the coronavirus, which first infected bats before spreading to humans.

Others, however, contend that it was caused by a “lab leak” or by other animals being offered for sale at a wet market.