DHAKA, Dec 9, 2019 (BSS) – The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control
and Research (IEDCR) has urged people not to drink raw date juice as it has
high possibility of getting infected by the Nipah virus.
IEDCR, country’s disease monitoring arm, also requested social and cultural
organisations to refrain from arranging date juice related festivals, said a
press release.
Nipah is a deadly viral disease transmitted from bats to humans. Its main
symptoms include fever, headache, itching, palpitation, unconsciousness and
in some cases fatal breathing problems. It generally occurs in the winter
season.
The IEDCR has advised caution over drinking raw date juice as bats usually
drink it from receptacles at night while it is being collected from the date-
palm tree.
As the disease can pass from human to human, the IEDCR has suggested taking
precautions such as washing hands after coming in contact with an infected
person.
Since 2001, the death rate of people infected by the Nipah virus in
Bangladesh has been 70 percent, the press release added.