"Nipah virus: An overlooked threat and the promise of monoclonal antibody therapy".

Nipah virus (NiV), despite being a highly deadly zoonotic paramyxovirus and a major new public health concern in South and Southeast Asia, is still not well discussed in discussions of infectious disease preparedness. Along with Hendra virus (HeV), NiV is a member of the Henipavirus genus and is linked to severe respiratory and encephalitic illness. Case fatality rates have been reported to range from 40 % to 75 %. Recurrent outbreaks, especially in Bangladesh, have shown person-to-person transmission and underscored the virus's potential for epidemics since its initial discovery during the Malaysian outbreak in 1998. Fruit bats are natural reservoirs, and human infection has been connected to contaminated food sources like bat urine and partially consumed fruits. As of right now, there are no approved vaccinations or proven treatment methods for NiV infection. Interest in monoclonal antibody-based treatments is fueled by mounting evidence that neutralizing antibodies play a crucial role in viral clearance and protection. Strong cross-neutralizing activity is demonstrated by m102 and its optimized variant m102.4, two of the several human monoclonal antibodies (m101-m107) that target NiV and HeV glycoproteins that have been identified. Significantly lowering viral replication and guaranteeing survival after a lethal challenge, m102.4 showed strong in vivo efficacy in nonhuman primate models. With significant ramifications for outbreak response and future clinical management, these findings demonstrate passive immunotherapy as a promising and desperately needed anti-NiV countermeasure.