Strengthening preparedness and response to emerging henipavirus diversity

Henipaviruses, including the highly pathogenic Nipah virus and Hendra virus, represent a major zoonotic threat with high mortality rates and potential for human-to-human transmission. Recent discoveries of novel henipaviruses in China, Europe and other regions highlight the urgent need for enhanced surveillance in both wildlife reservoirs such as bats, shrews, rodents, and human populations, particularly in high-risk areas. Despite advancements in metagenomic sequencing, gaps in integrated surveillance, fragmented One Health implementation, and insufficient diagnostic infrastructure in large parts of the world hinder global preparedness. This paper identifies key challenges in henipavirus detection and control and proposes an operational roadmap for surveillance, diagnostics, and cross-sectoral collaboration. With the known animal hosts of henipaviruses and related henipa-like orthoparamyxoviruses now documented across more than 130 countries and territories, strengthening these capabilities is critical to preventing future epidemics and addressing the evolving threat of emerging henipavirus diversity.