For many of us, the word “Nipah” is not abstract. It carries memories of quarantined villages, restricted movement, and anxious nights spent waiting for test results. With new Nipah cases reported in neighbouring India, and airports across Asia stepping up screening, the concern feels immediate — not distant.
Nipah virus is not new to Bangladesh. Since the first recorded outbreak in 2001, the country has seen repeated cases almost every year, particularly in winter. Unlike many infectious diseases that arrive from elsewhere, Nipah is already part of our ecological reality.
Fruit bats are the natural carriers of the Nipah virus. In Bangladesh, transmission to humans most commonly occurs through raw date palm sap contaminated by bat saliva or urine. The practice of drinking fresh, unprocessed sap remains one of the biggest risk factors.
The virus can also spread by eating fruits partially eaten or contaminated by bats, through close contact with infected animals, and from human to human via bodily fluids such as saliva, respiratory droplets, blood, or urine. Several outbreaks in Bangladesh have shown clear evidence of person-to-person transmission, especially among family members and caregivers.
This makes Nipah particularly dangerous in household and hospital settings where close contact is unavoidable.
Nipah infection does not always start dramatically. Early symptoms often include fever, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, and fatigue — signs that can easily be mistaken for flu or viral fever.
In more severe cases, the virus attacks the brain, leading to encephalitis. Symptoms may escalate quickly to dizziness, confusion, seizures, difficulty breathing, and loss of consciousness. The disease can progress within days.
Fatality rates reported in South Asia range between 40 and 75 per cent. Survivors may suffer long-term neurological complications, including memory loss, personality changes, and difficulty concentrating.
There is no specific antiviral treatment and no approved vaccine. Medical care focuses on supportive treatment, which makes early detection critical.
Recent cases in India, particularly in West Bengal, are geographically close to Bangladesh. While Nipah does not spread easily through casual contact or air travel, authorities have increased airport screening as a precaution. These steps are meant to detect symptoms early, not to signal widespread danger.
For Bangladesh, the bigger challenge lies at home. Rural awareness remains uneven, and seasonal behaviours — especially consuming raw date palm sap — continue despite years of warnings.
Preventing Nipah does not require drastic lifestyle changes, but it does require consistency. Avoiding raw or fermented date palm sap is one of the most effective measures. Fruits should be washed thoroughly and not eaten if visibly bitten or damaged.
People should avoid close contact with sick animals and seek medical attention if they develop a fever after possible exposure. Caregivers should use protective measures when looking after suspected patients, especially in home settings.
Nipah is not a virus that spreads silently across cities. It spreads through habits, proximity, and delayed response.
For us, vigilance is not about panic. It is about recognising a familiar threat, understanding how it moves, and choosing prevention over regret.
