The doctor called the possibility of a mutation of the Nipah virus unlikely.

The probability of mutation of the Nipah virus in the direction of increasing its contagiousness is currently extremely low. Gennady Onishchenko, an epidemiologist and academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told about this on January 27.

According to him, the virus, which has been observed since 2000, does not show dramatic changes in its ability to spread.

"For the time that we have been watching him, since 2000, this is the 26th year that we can say that he has had some sharp spurts <...>. No, there is a chronology of how many cases there were in a year, starting from 1999-2000. It's about contagiousness, he hasn't made any progress in these 25 years," Onishchenko said in an interview with TASS.

He also stressed that, despite the high mortality rate of Nipah, the experience of treating this virus is important. However, as the scientist noted, Nipah remains dangerous, as it can cause encephalitis, and it cannot be completely ruled out as a threat.

"Because for the monkey pox virus, for example, we have had longer observations, let's say, since the 1980s. He made a drift, but not towards airborne transmission, which, first of all, is the most important factor in the pandemic spread," the academician explained.

Onishchenko also added that the monkey pox virus has left its habitual habitat in recent years and began to circulate among people in Europe in 2022-2023. However, he has now "calmed down", despite the continuing threat. In addition, speaking about the Nipah virus, the scientist noted that its mutation towards epidemic or pandemic spread is unlikely, but such a possibility should not be completely ruled out.

General practitioner "Polyclinic.On January 26, Alexander Novikov reported that theoretically, the Indian Nipah virus could be imported to Russia, but there are no conditions in the country for its spread. Novikov clarified that the disease often begins with symptoms similar to the usual flu: the temperature rises sharply, severe headache and muscle pain appear, and a feeling of weakness.

On January 26, Onishchenko spoke about the main danger of the new Nipah virus, its symptoms and ways of protection. The expert noted that the virus is highly lethal and affects the nervous system, causing encephalitis. According to him, the disease has no specific treatment, and bats are most often the natural reservoir of the virus.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.