POBNEWS24, Dhaka Jan 7, 2026 : Nipah virus has been detected in 35 districts of the country. The IEDCR has warned that the spread and transmission pattern of this dangerous virus is also changing at an alarming rate.
The organization said that in all four cases recorded last year (2025), along with 100 percent mortality, a ‘non-seasonal case’ was found for the first time.
Sharmin Sultana, scientific officer of the organization, gave this information in a paper presented at a meeting titled ‘Exchange of views on the spread and risk of Nipah virus’ at the IEDCR auditorium on Wednesday afternoon.
The paper presented shows that in 2025, four Nipah patients were identified in these four districts – Naogaon, Bhola, Rajbari and Nilphamari – and each of them died. Among them, the case of an 8-year-old child from Naogaon was the first ‘non-seasonal Nipah case’ in the country, which was detected in August without winter. The source of the child’s infection was eating half-eaten bat fruits (blackberries, dates, mango), which has been identified as a new and alarming way of spreading Nipah.
Noting that the Nipah virus is spreading widely, it is said that the presence of Nipah virus has been detected in 35 of the 64 districts of the country. Faridpur, Rajbari, Naogaon and Lalmonirhat have relatively high infection and mortality rates. All 4 people identified last year died (100 percent mortality rate). The average mortality rate of Nipah virus infected people worldwide is about 72 percent.
The article also says that although raw date juice has historically been considered the main source, the Naogaon case in 2025 proves that infection can also occur through direct consumption of any half-eaten fruit contaminated with bat saliva or urine, and it is possible throughout the year. Noting that human-to-human transmission occurs, it is also said that in about 28 percent of cases, Nipah is transmitted directly from an infected person to another person, which poses a high risk to health workers and family members.
The meeting was chaired by IEDCR Director Professor Dr. Tahmina Shirin. She said, “The non-seasonal cases and new transmission routes in 2025 are a big warning signal for us. Nipah is no longer limited to winter or date juice. It is becoming a year-round and multifaceted infection threat.”
Dr. Syed Moinuddin Sattar, coordinator of the Nipah virus survey, said that surveillance has been strengthened in the risky districts and the concerned hospitals have been instructed to be ready.
The meeting was also informed that last year, in 2024, 5 people were infected with Nipah virus in the country and all of them died. Experts opined that the 2025 data and the discovery of new transmission routes call for Bangladesh’s health system to be more alert and prepared to deal with Nipah.
