Bangladesh: Extremely Fatal Virus in Fresh Sap, Fruit

By Larry Habegger and Andrew Davis | Permalink | No Comments | February 15th, 2012 | Trackback

An outbreak of the Nipah virus (NIV) has killed at least 30 people since Jan. 2011 in northern Bangladesh. The pathogen is spread by fruit bats, and in this outbreak the disease has been fatal in all reported cases. The main conduit for infection is believed to be the consumption of palm tree sap, often served raw and fresh in rural areas, though eating infected fruit can also cause infection. According to medical studies, human-to-human contact such as coughing or the exchange of bodily fluids may also spread NIV. Symptoms are often flu-like but can also include brain tissue inflammation, which may lead to disorientation and coma.

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