Dhaka: Bangladesh has reported a confirmed case of Nipah virus infection in its northwestern Rajshahi Division, weeks after cases were detected in India’s neighbouring state of West Bengal, raising renewed regional vigilance against the deadly zoonotic disease.
The International Health Regulations National Focal Point (IHR NFP) for Bangladesh notified the World Health Organization (WHO) on February 3, 2026, of one laboratory confirmed Nipah virus (NiV) case in Naogaon district of Rajshahi Division.
The patient, a woman aged between 40 and 50 years, developed fever and neurological symptoms on January 21 and was admitted to a tertiary care hospital on January 28 after her condition deteriorated. She died the same day. Laboratory confirmation was made on January 29 through PCR and ELISA testing.
According to health authorities, the patient had no travel history but reported repeated consumption of raw date palm sap between January 5 and 20, a known risk factor for Nipah virus transmission in Bangladesh.
An outbreak investigation team, including One Health stakeholders, was deployed on January 30 to trace contacts and assess potential sources of exposure.
A total of 35 contacts were identified, including household, community and hospital contacts. Samples from six symptomatic contacts were tested and found negative for Nipah virus. All identified contacts remain under monitoring and no additional cases had been detected as of February 3, officials said.
Bangladesh has reported small Nipah outbreaks almost every year since the virus was first detected in the country in 2001. In 2025, four laboratory confirmed fatal cases were reported. Surveillance data show that outbreaks typically occur between December and April, coinciding with the harvesting and consumption of raw date palm sap, which can be contaminated by saliva or excreta of infected fruit bats, the natural reservoir of the virus.
Globally, Nipah virus is recognised as a high fatality zoonotic disease, with case fatality rates in past outbreaks across Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore ranging between 40 and 75 percent.
Human infections range from mild respiratory illness to severe encephalitis, often progressing rapidly. There are currently no licensed vaccines or specific antiviral treatments for Nipah, and case management relies on early detection and intensive supportive care.
The Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has initiated public health measures, including active contact tracing, coordination with district health authorities, community awareness activities in Nipah endemic areas and preparation of health education material for frontline staff and travellers.
WHO is supporting surveillance, risk assessment and coordination under the International Health Regulations.
WHO has assessed the overall public health risk posed by the current Nipah case to be low at national, regional and global levels, citing the absence of secondary cases, ongoing surveillance and established response mechanisms in Bangladesh.
The risk of international spread has also been assessed as low, though health authorities in the region remain on alert due to the shared ecological corridor of fruit bats across South Asia.
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