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Concept

Paramyxovirus

RNA virus family including Nipah, Hendra, and measles; WHO Blueprint roadmap published 31 March 2026.

Last refreshed: 7 May 2026

Key Question

Is Nipah virus the most plausible next pandemic pathogen given its bat-to-human spillover rate and high fatality?

Timeline for Paramyxovirus

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Common Questions
What is Nipah virus and why do scientists worry about it causing a pandemic?
Nipah is a Paramyxovirus with a case-fatality rate of 40-75%, a bat reservoir across South and Southeast Asia, and documented human-to-human respiratory transmission. No licensed vaccine exists, making it a high-priority pandemic risk.
What did WHO publish about Nipah and Hendra in 2026?
The WHO R&D Blueprint published a Paramyxovirus medical countermeasure roadmap on 31 March 2026 covering Nipah, Hendra, and measles. Public consultation remains open through late May.Source: WHO R&D Blueprint
Is measles in the same virus family as Nipah?
Yes. Both are paramyxoviruses. measles is vaccine-preventable but resurging where vaccination has lapsed; Nipah is without a licensed vaccine and has a FAR higher case-fatality rate.

Background

Paramyxoviruses (family Paramyxoviridae) are negative-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses that include some of the most familiar and some of the most feared pathogens in human medicine. The family spans measles virus (vaccine-preventable but resurging where vaccination lapses), mumps, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and the high-consequence zoonotic members: Nipah virus (CFR 40-75% in outbreaks; Bangladesh, Malaysia, India) and Hendra virus (CFR ~57%; Australia, horses as amplifying host). Nipah is considered by many pandemic modellers to be among the highest-risk pathogens for emergence: it has a high case-fatality rate, a bat reservoir distributed across South and Southeast Asia, documented human-to-human respiratory transmission in some outbreaks, and no licensed vaccine.

The WHO R&D Blueprint published its Paramyxovirus medical countermeasure roadmap on 31 March 2026, the third of three pathogen-family roadmaps released in Q1. The roadmap covers Nipah, Hendra, and measles; public consultation remains open through late May 2026. For the pandemics briefing, the Paramyxovirus roadmap is most significant for Nipah: CEPI has active Nipah vaccine candidates in Phase 1 and 2 trials, and the Blueprint roadmap sequences investment by platform and geographic priority. Nipah's bat reservoir (pteropus fruit bats across South and Southeast Asia) overlaps with the region's high-density human-animal interfaces, and its documented respiratory transmission capacity makes it a persistent focus of pandemic-risk modelling.

Source Material
WHO R&D Blueprint — Paramyxovirus RoadmapParamyxoviridae