The Dhaka Times Desk The deadly Nipah virus is once again spreading across the country. According to Mohakhali Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), 12 people have been infected with Nipah virus this winter season. 10 of them died. The government's action to prevent the spread of the virus is very weak.
It is the responsibility of the health department of the government to create awareness through campaigns. The department has shown gross failure in fulfilling this responsibility. Expert doctors said that many people can be saved from death if awareness is created throughout the country about Nipah virus.
Last Wednesday, a child died of Nipah virus in Chittagong Medical College Hospital. The child contracted Nipah virus at their home in Phatikchari. Before this, an 8-year-old child died in Dhaka on January 21. The child and his father ate the raw juice of dates from Baluka in Mymensingh. Later, the businessman's father also fell ill. He is undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of a hospital in the capital.
Experts say that bats are the only carriers of Nipah virus. During the winter season, bats feed on the raw juice of date palms after dusk. The virus spreads through bats in palm sap. The disease can also be spread through contact with an infected person. So IEDCR is advising not to consume raw juice of dates. But the rural people do not know about this.
In the current winter season, 8 people have died in Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Chittagong, Rajbari, Jhenaidah, Naogaon Natore, Gaibandha districts. According to IEDCR sources, Nipah virus is spreading across the country. Earlier, the infection of this virus was seen in some districts of Dhaka division and Greater Rangpur. Currently Nipah virus infection is seen in Rajshahi Division, Mymensingh and Chittagong Division.
Dr. IEDCArthur Chief Scientific Officer. M Moshtaq Hossain said, their services team has started search operations in other departments.
IEDCR officials said that the first Nipah virus outbreak started in the country in 2001. However, it was initially thought to be Japanese encephalitis due to the sudden death of infected people. In 2004 it was discovered that encephalitis is not a disease; Nipah virus infection.
In 1998, the first person died of this virus in Nipah village in Malaysia. What bats eat falls into pig food. The disease spread among the residents of Nipah village through pigs. Later the virus was named Nipah after that village. After three years of this incident, Nipah virus outbreak started in Bangladesh in 2001. According to official data, 180 people have been infected with Nipah virus so far. Among them, 139 people died. The death rate is 80 percent. According to private data, the death rate tripled in one era.
In 2001, 9 out of 13 people infected with Nipah virus died in Meherpur, in 2003, 8 out of 12 people infected in Naogaon died. In 2004, 10 people died in Rajbari, 27 in Faridpur, 4 in Jaipurhat, 4 in Manikganj and 2 in Naogaon. In 2005, 10 people died in Tangail and 5 in Kushtia. 4 people died in Manikganj and 5 people in Rajbari in 2008 and 7 people died in Faridpur in 2010. In 2011, 2 people died in Rajbari, 5 people in Rangpur, 4 people in Dinajpur, 20 people in Lalmonirhat and in 2012 6 people died in Joypurhat and 2 people in Rajbari.
Expert doctors said that it is possible to avoid the outbreak of Nipah virus if you stop eating the raw juice of dates and fruits eaten by bats. However, jaggery and pies of date juice can be eaten. The virus dies in the heat of the fire. Again, if you wash the fruit with soap, there will be no problem in this case. If awareness is not raised about Nipah virus, death will increase across the country. Symptoms of this disease are high fever, headache, fainting, convulsions and difficulty breathing. The doctors said that it should not be difficult for the government to send house-to-house warnings about the virus. Director General of the Department of Health Professor Dr. Khandkar Sifayet Ulsnah said that campaigns and various activities are going on under the leadership of Civil Surgeon in the affected areas. Mikeing and posters are being put up to raise awareness. He said that this campaign is being conducted in print and electronic media.
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