A new drug developed by scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College has proven effective in blocking the infection of live virus in animal cells, pointing the way to a drug that could be stockpiled to help stop an outbreak in humans.

The drug is effective against two deadly and highly infectious viruses - Hendra and Nipah, both potential bioterror threats

Two deadly and highly infectious viruses that could be used as bioterrorism threats can now be cured by a drug developed by Weill Cornell Medical College scientists.

Infection with the deadly Hendra and Nipah viruses often leads to a fatal case of encephalitis and there has not been any effective treatment. Although scientists say they aren't sure how the viruses are transmitted, they say it is either by close contact with an infected host or by breathing in the microscopic pathogens

Two teams of U.S. scientists may have made headway in defending livestock and communities at large against the Nipah virus.

The virus is a member of a new genus of viruses related to the mysterious Hendra virus, which infected horses and killed two people in Australia in 1994