S2E7 At the Edge of Spillover: The Nipah Paradox

Nipah virus scares virologists, and for good reason. It infects endothelial cells and neurons. It can cause fatal encephalitis. It spreads from bats to humans, and sometimes between people. So why does it keep burning out? In this episode of Infectious Dose, we examine: Henipavirus biology and receptor usage (ephrin-B2/B3) Why neurotropism drives severity Why outbreaks are small but deadly Why R₀ remains low What would actually have to change for Nipah to go pandemic Why spillover keeps recurring in Kerala And why survival does not always mean full recovery This is a grounded look at pandemic thresholds — not panic headlines. Preparedness requires vigilance not hysteria. All citations in the companion blog post at infectiousdose.com