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Nipah Virus Outbreak in Bangladesh

Content Editor: Dr. Sakshi Aggarwal

March 9, 2024 at 2:30:00 PM

Disease outbreak, Zoonotic diseases

Content Editor: Dr. Sakshi Aggarwal

  • Two instances of NiV infection that are not epidemiologically related were reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) by the Bangladesh National Focal Point (NFP) for the International Health Regulations (IHR) on January 30 and February 7, 2024.

  • In Bangladesh, Nipah virus (NiV) infections are seasonal; cases often arise from December to April in tandem with the harvest and ingestion of date palm sap.

  • The first patient was a 38-year-old man from the Dhaka division's Manikganj district, while the second was a 3-year-old girl from the Dhaka division's Shariatpur area. 

  • Both of which had a history of consuming date palm sap.

  • Since there is currently no vaccine for NiV, which is a deadly disease, the World Health Organisation prioritizes:

  1. Reducing or preventing infection by enhancing contact tracing and early detection surveillance

  2. Increasing public awareness of risk factors

  3. Providing support to individuals in reducing their exposure to NiV

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