Staff Correspondent

Ten out of 14 people infected with Nipah virus died in Bangladesh in two consecutive years - 2022 and 2023. As a result, prevention is the way to save life.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) came up with this information in an emergency message on Thursday (14 December).

The DGHS requested the date palm juice sellers not to sell raw juice to any consumers. However, there is no restriction in eating jaggery made from date palm juice.

The government health agency said Nipah is a fatal viral disease. It can be prevented if the growers involved in the collection, sale and distribution of raw date palm juice and the common people are informed about the animal-borne infectious disease. The death rate from Nipah virus is more than 70%.

Nipah outbreaks are usually seen in the winter. Raw date juice is mixed with bat excrement or saliva and that excrement or saliva contains Nipah virus germs.

Therefore, people can get infected with Nipah virus, if they drink the raw date juice. Besides adults, children and adolescents are now being more infected by Nipah virus.

The DGHS also highlighted the main symptoms of Nipah disease. The symptoms are headache with fever, convulsions, delirious, fainting and shortness of breath in some cases.

The health department advised people to follow some steps, including not consuming raw date juice, refraining from eating any kind of partially eaten fruit, and washing the fruit well with clean water before eating.

If Nipah symptoms appear, the patient should be hospitalised as soon as possible and wash both hands thoroughly with soap and water after coming into contact with an infected patient, the DGHS said in the message.