Nipah virus can infect pigs and other animals and can be transmitted from pigs to humans. It is considered a paramyxovirus – a group of viruses that induce a wide range of distinct illnesses – and was first isolated in Malaysia in 1999, resulting in a number of associated human fatalities.
In Canada, Nipah virus is a immediately notifiable disease under the Health of Animals Act. Only laboratories are required to contact the CFIA regarding the suspicion or diagnosis of one of these diseases.