One Health interventions for the prevention and control of Nipah virus in South and Southeast Asia

ABSTRACT Nipah virus is a zoonotic paramyxovirus that continues to cause recurrent outbreaks in South and Southeast Asia, with high case fatality rates ranging from 40–75%. Its natural reservoir, Pteropus fruit bats, is widely distributed across Africa, Asia, and Oceania, suggesting the virus could emerge in new countries and cause larger outbreaks. Over the years, responses to Nipah outbreaks have included mass culling, import bans, physical barriers to reduce bat–human contact, behavior change communication, surveillance, and broader public health and social measures. Although some of these interventions have successfully interrupted transmission, their overall impact has varied. Challenges related to sustainability, scalability, cultural practices, economic dependence, and local ecological contexts have limited long-term effectiveness. These experiences show that single-sector approaches are inadequate. Nipah virus transmission involves complex interactions between wildlife, domestic animals, human behavior, health systems, and ecological change, making it a clear example of a One Health challenge. Addressing this complexity requires a coordinated, multisectoral approach. One practical step would be to establish an institutionalized multisectoral collaboration through a National Technical Advisory Committee. This body will bring together experts from academia, government, and the private sector to design, implement, evaluate, and refine an evidence-based national strategy for Nipah prevention and control. Such a platform would enable culturally appropriate community engagement while strengthening integrated surveillance across human, wildlife and animal health sectors. Furthermore, it would support data sharing and joint outbreak response. Grounding these efforts in a One Health framework would complement combined interventions, producing a stronger, more sustainable impact on Nipah outbreak prevention and control.