Bangladesh
Nipah Virus Nipah Virus: Researchers warn of danger in consumption of date juice
Dhaka, November 28: Researchers have said that the upcoming winter months may trigger another epidemic in the form of Nipah Virus, warning people to stay away from the consumption of date juice, a delicacy in Bangladesh and eastern India's West Bengal state.
In a study published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in the United States, scientists say that the Nipah virus is more contagious than previously thought. At any time, it can spread to any settlement. Scientists have warned that the Nipah virus could cause another epidemic in Bangladesh, India and Asia.
The World Health Organization has compiled a list of diseases that could take the form of epidemics in the world. The list also includes the name of Nipah virus. No vaccine or treatment for the virus has yet been discovered.
The study was conducted by collecting samples of 2,700 bats in Bangladesh over the last six years. The research report was edited by Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the United States and a renowned infectious disease specialist. The report was approved in mid-September after being received last January. It was published in the journal on November 2.
The main source of Nipah virus is raw date juice and half-eaten fruit of bats. Although not as deadly as coronavirus, people who come in contact with an infected person are also becoming infected. Outbreaks appear to be exacerbated during the winter. Therefore, experts have advised to refrain from eating raw date juice and eating half-eaten bats or fruits lying on the ground this winter. The study also found that the number of Nipah virus patients in the country is higher in Faridpur.
Scientists say the virus could spread from person to person day by day, creating an "easy strain" of infection. And IEDCR, an institute for pathology, disease control and research, says bats fly across the country, so transmission of the virus is not limited to specific areas.
The first outbreak of Nipah virus was reported in 2001 in Meherpur district. Since then, more or less Nipah patients have been seen every year. According to the IEDCR, 319 people have been infected with the Nipah virus in the country since 2001. 225 people died. In 2004, 2011 and 2014, the incidence of Nipah was higher. There were 67, 42 and 38 patients in these years respectively.
