One person has died due to Nipah virus in the country.
This was informed at a conference on “Winter Infectious Diseases and Nipah Virus Transmission” organized by Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) on Wednesday.
According to IEDCR, the deceased was a resident of Rajshahi. The woman had a history of consuming raw date juice.
Earlier, three cases of Nipah virus infection were reported in 2022, of which two of them died.
Director of IEDCR Professor Dr Tahmina Shirin said that Nipah virus spreads through the saliva or urine of bats in Bangladesh. Humans contract the virus when they drink contaminated raw palm juice and transmit it to others.
She said: “Raw date juice and any half-eaten fruit should not be consumed. According to IEDCR, 71% of people infected with Nipah virus die.”
Speakers at the conference also said that symptoms of Nipah virus infection take eight to nine days after consuming the juice. In case of human-to-human transmission, symptoms appear after six to 11 days.
According to researchers at IEDCR, drinking date juice after heating is safe. Jaggery is also safe. The company also advised palm juice collectors to wash their hands with soap after work.