NanoLuc Biosensor Technology: Offering a simple & rapid detection of Nipah virus infection

Nipah virus (NiV) has emerged as one of the deadly threats after the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus is responsible for causing acute encephalitis showcasing symptoms like acute fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, and sore throat that appear between 4–14 days after exposure. Acute encephalitis in patients due to after 14 days of exposure to NiV had reported the mortality of over 80% globally from the year 2014-2023. Among the other countries with known reported cases of Nipah virus death, India has reported the highest mortality of 82.7%. These escalating mortality cases, especially in India accounting for 89.3-91.7% in the last decade raises a serious concern among doctors and scientists to find robust screening methods for early treatment interventions.

Currently, diagnostic methods used to detect Nipah virus infection include serum analysis of NiV specific antibodies using ELISA assay and Luminex bead-based assays that detect IgM and IgG antibodies or antigens. However, these diagnostic procedures are lengthy, complex and require trained professional, thus, limiting their use only in specialized laboratories. The main challenge in detection of NiV lies in obtaining clinical specimens from confirmed cases and prevent infection in the highly lethal environment.