Nipah in Bangladesh: A woman in northern Bangladesh died in January after being infected with the Nipah virus, the World Health Organization said.
The patient, aged 40–50, fell ill on January 21 with fever and headache before developing worsening neurological symptoms, including excessive salivation, confusion and seizures. She died about a week later, and lab testing confirmed Nipah infection on January 29.
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Health officials said she had no recent travel history, but had consumed raw date palm sap, a known route for infection when products are contaminated by fruit bats. Thirty-five close contacts have been identified, monitored and tested negative so far, and no additional cases have been detected.
The Bangladesh case comes shortly after two Nipah cases were reported in India, prompting some Asian countries to introduce or tighten airport temperature screening. The WHO said the risk of international spread remains low and it is not recommending travel or trade restrictions at this stage.
Bangladesh reports Nipah infections almost every year; in 2025, four lab-confirmed fatal cases were recorded. There are currently no licensed Nipah-specific vaccines or medicines.