NipahA virus named after Kampung Sungai Nipah, a village in Malaysia, where it was first discovered in 1998-99. The virus, that eventually killed 105 people in Malaysia, was first suspected to be Japanese encephalitis (JE) which, like the Nipah virus, induces brain inflammation. Also Read What is the connection between fruit bats and Nipah virus? The virus, which was traced back to the pigs, led to a large-scale culling of the animals in this region. Nipah belongs to a genus (category, in layperson speak) called the Henipavirus; the Hendra virus, also found on pteropid bats, belongs to this category too.

Source: The Hindu May 28, 2018 06:44 UTC