Q48
General ScienceBiology
Which of the following animals is natural reservoir of Nipah viruses?
- a.Bats
- b.Turtles
- c.Migratory birds
- d.Horses
Answer: (A) Bats
Fruit bats of the genus Pteropus (flying foxes) are the natural reservoir of the Nipah virus, an RNA virus of the genus Henipavirus. It reaches humans through infected pigs, through fruit or raw date-palm sap contaminated by bats, or from person to person, and causes fever and encephalitis with high fatality; there is no licensed vaccine. It was first identified in Malaysia in 1998-99 (named after Sungai Nipah village). India's outbreaks include Siliguri (2001) and Nadia (2007) in West Bengal, repeated outbreaks in Kerala since 2018, and two cases in West Bengal in January 2026. Horses (D) are the intermediate host of the related Hendra virus in Australia, and migratory birds (C) are linked with avian influenza.