Disease

Nipah Virus is Bangladesh

Health specialists have expressed concerns about a potential fresh outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus (NiV), following the confirmation of two recent deaths from NiV infection and four more suspected fatalities.

Laboratory tests at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) has confirmed that two boys – aged 13 and 14 – died from NiV infection at Shibaloy and Ghior of Manikganj district on the last week of December last year.

Both of them died after being infected with the virus by drinking raw date-palm sap.

The NiV – an enveloped RNA virus belonging to genus Henipavirus – is a highly pathogenic paramyxovirus, which is transmitted by the drinking of virus-contaminated raw date palm sap or through close physical contact with Nipah infected patients.

The NiV infection has a fatality rate of 78%, with 148 people out of the 189 reported cases between 2001 and May 2013 – succumbing to the disease in the country.