DHAKA, Feb 19, 2019 (BSS) – Experts at a programme today laid emphasis on creating awareness to prevent spread of Nipah virus (NiV) across the country.
“Already the government has achieved tremendous success in reducing the spreading rate of NiV in last few years by creating awareness among people,” said Director of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Professor Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora.
She was speaking at a views exchange meeting with media persons at IEDCR auditorium in city’s Mohakhali area.
But govt’s only disease monitoring wing IEDCR now stressing on cautionary steps again as people have started consuming date palm sap in different festivals.
“Nowadays people are celebrating ‘Rosh Utsab’ in every winter, which can be deadly if NiV found even in one pot of date palm sap, said IEDCR Senior Scientific Officer Dr ASM Alamgir.
IEDCR suggested to consume the sap after boiling, making it free of the deadly virus.
The journalists present at the meeting also gave their suggestions for creating awareness in this regard.
The latest outbreak of Nipah virus had been reported in Bangladesh in 2013, with 24 cases and 21 deaths till 02 April 2013.
Fourteen districts had been affected, namely, Gaibandha, Natore, Rajshahi, Naogaon, Rajbari, Pabna, Jhenaidah, Mymensingh, Nilphamari, Chittagong, Kurigram, Kustia, Magura, and Manikganj.
The virus is believed to have been transmitted by drinking of Nipah-contaminate raw date palm sap in all these cases. Human Nipah virus infection is an emerging zoonotic disease spread from fruit bats. In South-East Asia Region, the disease had been reported in Bangladesh and India.