A woman has died from the Nipah virus in northern Bangladesh, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed. The case, reported on 21 January, involved a patient aged between 40 and 50 who developed fever, headache, hypersalivation, disorientation and convulsions. She died a week later, with the infection confirmed the following day.
The woman had no travel history but had consumed raw date palm sap, a known transmission route for the virus. All 35 individuals who had contact with the patient are being monitored and have tested negative for Nipah, with no further cases detected to date, according to the WHO.
This incident follows two Nipah cases reported in neighbouring India, which prompted stepped-up airport screenings in several Asian countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Pakistan. The WHO assessed the risk of international spread as low and did not recommend travel or trade restrictions.
Nipah virus, which spreads mainly through products contaminated by infected bats, such as fruit, is fatal in up to 75% of cases but does not transmit easily between people. In 2025, four laboratory-confirmed fatal cases were reported in Bangladesh. There are currently no licensed treatments or vaccines for the infection.
