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In Rajshahi, near the Bangladesh-India border, a seven-year-old child died of Nipah virus Monday, according to local media.
Image/CIA
The boy is the is the second victim that died of the virus the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital in January 2023.
It is reported that the child drank raw date juice on Friday.
From 2001-2022, 325 Nipah virus cases were reported in Bangladesh, according to the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), including more than 230 fatalities (more than a 70 percent case fatality rate).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic virus, meaning that it can spread between animals and people. Fruit bats, also called flying foxes, are the animal reservoir for NiV in nature. Nipah virus is also known to cause illness in pigs and people. Infection with NiV is associated with encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and can cause mild to severe illness and even death. Outbreaks occur almost annually in parts of Asia, primarily Bangladesh and India.
Nipah virus with Emily Gurley, PhD
Nipah virus infection can be prevented by avoiding exposure to sick pigs and bats in areas where the virus is present, and not drinking raw date palm sap which can be contaminated by an infected bat.
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