Bangladesh-Countrywide alert for Nipha Virus

Health Ministry has given countrywide warning for Nipah virus naturally carried by Bats. Letters has already sent to Nipha-affected Lalmonirhat areas.

Health Minister Dr. AFM Ruhul Haque told this at a meeting with the journalists on Saturday and urged all to remain cautioned over the virus.

The disease caused by Nipah virus known as Encephalitis could preliminarily be indentified as the patient suffers from high fever with headache and vomiting. Nipah-affected-patient would have possibilities to die within 8 to 10 days by heart attack.

The disease causes inflammation of brain. The virus can transmit among humans through the saliva, urine and stools of infected bats. Experts are in opinion that boiled date-juice can be taken.

Nipah was first reported in the country in 2001 while a total of 152 people have been infected from 2001 to January 31, 2011. Of the infected, 113 people died. In Bangladesh, two types of encephalitis--Japanese and Nipah--are common, experts said.