Scientists at the University of Oxford in the UK have launched the first-in-human clinical trial to test a vaccine to protect people against deadly Nipah virus.

Fifty-one people aged 18 to 55 will participate in the trial of the ChAdOx1 NipahB vaccine, developed by researchers at the University of Oxford’s Pandemic Sciences Institute, the varsity said in a statement.

Nipah virus is a devastating disease that can be fatal in around 75 per cent of cases. Outbreaks have occurred in countries in South-East Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh and India, with a recent outbreak in Kerala, India in September 2023.