The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed this death on 7/2. The patient began experiencing fever and headaches on 21/1. Her health condition rapidly deteriorated, showing signs of excessive salivation, disorientation, and seizures, leading to her death one week later. Test results released after her passing confirmed a positive diagnosis for Nipah virus.

An epidemiological investigation revealed that the woman had not traveled abroad before falling ill but had consumed fresh date palm sap. This is a common local practice and the primary transmission route for Nipah virus, often occurring when food is contaminated by bat excreta carrying the pathogen.

A patient diagnosed with Nipah virus is being transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) at the Nipah isolation ward of Kozhikode Medical College, Kozhikode district, Kerala state, southern India, on 20/7/2024. Photo: Reuters

Health authorities are closely monitoring 35 individuals who had contact with the patient. Currently, all test samples from this group have tested negative, and no new infections have been recorded.

Following this incident in Bangladesh and two other infections reported in West Bengal, India, since early January, many Asian countries have heightened their vigilance. Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Pakistan have simultaneously implemented temperature screening for passengers at international airports to contain the disease. Vietnam has not recorded any cases of this virus. WHO currently assesses the risk of international transmission as low and has not recommended travel or trade restrictions.

Dr. Phan Le Minh Tien from Nhi Dong 2 Hospital stated that Nipah virus (NiV) is a dangerous infectious agent. The disease often begins with non-specific symptoms such as fever, headache, and vomiting. It progresses very rapidly, with patients soon exhibiting severe signs like altered consciousness, seizures, and eventually falling into a coma.

Compared to Covid-19, Nipah virus disease has a lower transmissibility rate, only about 0.33%, as it is not airborne. The primary sources of virus transmission are fruit bats, intermediate animals, or human-to-human transmission through close contact with patient secretions and excretions. However, Nipah virus causes encephalitis, rapidly progressing to respiratory failure, which leads to a high mortality rate of 40-75% or severe neurological sequelae. This is why WHO classifies Nipah as a dangerous disease, and Vietnam's Ministry of Health also includes it in Group A of extremely dangerous infectious diseases.

Nipah virus was first discovered in 1999 in Malaysia and Singapore, causing over 100 deaths and necessitating the culling of 1 million pigs. Since then, Nipah has become a recurring threat in South Asia, particularly in Bangladesh and India. In 2025, Bangladesh recorded 4 deaths. Currently, there is no specific treatment or licensed vaccine available globally to prevent the disease.

By Binh Minh (Source: The Guardian)