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WHO Confirms Fatal Nipah Case in Bangladesh as Region Tightens Screening

WHO judges the risk of international spread to be low.

Overview

  • A woman aged between 40 and 50 from Naogaon in Rajshahi Division developed symptoms on Jan 21 after drinking raw date palm sap and died about a week later, with lab confirmation the following day.
  • Bangladesh has identified 35 contacts of the patient, all tested negative to date, and no additional cases have been detected.
  • Two Nipah infections previously identified in West Bengal, India, triggered contact tracing and local containment, with authorities reporting no signs of wider transmission.
  • Countries across Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan and Singapore, have implemented temperature screening for arrivals from affected areas and issued traveller advisories.
  • Singapore’s Communicable Diseases Agency reports no linked cases, ongoing bat surveillance has found no Nipah virus, and precautionary measures began Jan 28 including enhanced notifications and health checks for arrivals.