The World Health Organization said that a woman in northern Bangladesh died in January after being infected with the Nipah virus.
Bangladesh reports cases of the virus almost every year, and this latest case comes after two infections were recently detected in neighboring India, leading several Asian countries to increase health screenings at airports.
According to the WHO, the woman, who was between 40 and 50 years old, developed symptoms on January 21, including fever and headache, followed by excessive salivation, confusion, and seizures. She died a week later, and the infection was confirmed the following day.
The patient had no recent travel history but had consumed raw date palm sap, which is considered a possible source of infection. Health officials monitored 35 people who had contact with her, and all tested negative, with no additional cases reported so far.
Nipah virus usually spreads through food or fruit contaminated by infected bats. The infection can be fatal in up to 75 percent of cases, but it does not spread easily from person to person. After India reported cases in West Bengal, countries including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Pakistan introduced temperature screening at airports as a precaution.
The WHO stated that the risk of international spread remains low and that no travel or trade restrictions are currently recommended. In 2025, Bangladesh reported four laboratory-confirmed deaths caused by the Nipah virus.
