Nipah Virus Survivor follow-up
Nipah Virus Survivor follow-up
Objectives
1. Develop a bank of serum and mononuclear cells from Nipah virus survivors for the study of the human immunology of Nipah virus infection.
2. Development and testing of new Nipah virus assays to support vaccine development.
3. Collect data on long-term neurologic assessments and functional outcomes to evaluate long term deficits in Nipah virus infection survivors.
Rationale
Nipah virus is a paramyxovirus with pandemic potential, causing severe and often fatal disease in humans and exhibiting person-to-person transmission. Initially recognized in an outbreak in Malaysia in 1998, human infections have now been seen nearly every year in Bangladesh since 2001 and occasionally in neighboring India. WHO reports 338 cases of whom 253 died from 2001 to 2018. Over 70% recognized cases of infected individuals in South Asia have died and one third of survivors have permanent neurologic deficits.
We are studying a cohort of Nipah virus survivors in Bangladesh, collecting functional data and blood samples that will allow us to learn more about the long term health sequelae of infection and how the immune system reacts to infection. In addition, as multiple vaccine candidates are in development, the samples collected from this study will allow for the development and validation of assays that will allow for the evaluation of vaccine candidates.
Project Dates
2018 to current
Stage of Work
Along with Bangladeshi colleagues, we are developing field protocols for the study of a cohort of Nipah virus survivors. Field work will include both medical and neurologic examinations of Nipah virus survivors and control subjects as well as blood collection to allow for immunologic studies and assay development.
People
Primary Contact: Stephen Luby
Stanford University
. Stephen Luby, PI
. John Openshaw, MD
Funding