One dies from Nipah virus in Bangladesh: WHO

Staff Reporter:

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on 6 February that a woman in northern Bangladesh died in January after contracting the deadly Nipah virus, Reuters reported.

Confirming the case to the media, Dr Sultana, senior scientific officer at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), said the woman passed away while receiving treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

She advised people to avoid drinking raw date palm sap and consuming partially eaten fruits to prevent infection.
Nipah cases are reported almost every year in Bangladesh. The latest case comes shortly after two infections were identified in neighbouring India, prompting increased airport screenings across Asia.

The patient, aged 40–50, developed symptoms on 21 January, including fever, headache, hypersalivation, disorientation, and convulsions, the WHO said. She died a week later, and infection was confirmed the following day.

She had no travel history but had consumed raw date palm sap. All 35 people who had contact with her are under monitoring and have tested negative, with no further cases detected to date.

Nipah primarily spreads through products contaminated by infected bats, such as fruit, and can be fatal in up to 75% of cases.

However, it does not easily transmit between people. Following cases in India’s West Bengal, countries including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Pakistan implemented airport temperature screenings.

The WHO said the risk of international spread is low and does not recommend travel or trade restrictions at this time. In 2025, Bangladesh reported four laboratory-confirmed fatal cases. Currently, no licensed medicines or vaccines exist for Nipah virus.