The World Health Organization reported on the 6th that a case of Nipah virus infection has been detected in Bangladesh, with no related cases found so far.
According to a news briefing released by WHO on the same day, the patient is a woman living in the Rajshahi region of Bangladesh, aged between 40 and 50. She developed fever and neurological symptoms on January 21 and was diagnosed with Nipah virus infection on January 29. The Bangladesh authorities reported the case to the WHO on February 3. The woman had no recent travel history but had consumed fresh date palm juice. Test results from her 35 close contacts for Nipah virus were negative.
The briefing noted that Bangladesh frequently experiences small-scale outbreaks of Nipah virus disease, with relatively higher case numbers between December and April, which coincides with the harvesting and consumption season of date palm juice.
Nipah virus disease is a rare but serious zoonotic disease that can be transmitted to humans from infected animals such as bats, or through food contaminated with saliva, urine, or feces from those animals. Human-to-human transmission can also occur through close contact with infected individuals. The fatality rate is between 40% and 75%. There are currently no approved antiviral treatments or vaccines, but early supportive therapy can improve survival rates.