WHO confirms that Nipah virus infection has died, the medical sector issues an emergency notice?

WHO warned that Nipah virus broke out in South Asia with a mortality rate of up to 75%. World health is on high alert about the danger of this virus. Vietnam immediately tightened control at border gates to prevent it.

Death heralded by "date palm resin" and international alarm bells

According to a report from the WHO, the patient is a woman aged 40-50 in Bangladesh, who began to develop typical symptoms such as fever and severe headache from January 21. The condition progresses rapidly with manifestations of confusion, seizures and excessive salivation. Just a week later, the woman died. The results of the epidemiological investigation showed that the patient used fresh date resin – a common source of Nipah virus infection because it is a favorite dish of fruit bats, the intermediate host of disease transmission.

The incident in Bangladesh comes shortly after India recorded at least two cases in the state of West Bengal, forcing the country to quarantine more than 200 people. The wave of concern quickly spread across Asia. A series of countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia have implemented strict temperature checks at international airports. In particular, Singapore requires migrant workers from epidemic areas to monitor their health continuously for 14 days, in order to detect all suspicious signs of this "deadly pathogen" early.

Silent "killer": Record high sudden death rate and fear of not having a vaccine

Analyzing the danger of the Nipah virus, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Duy Cuong, Director of the Institute of Tropical Medicine (Bach Mai Hospital), affirmed that the biggest danger lies in extreme virulence. With a mortality rate ranging from 40% to 75%, Nipah is far beyond the danger of Covid-19 or other common infectious diseases. "For every two people who have it, at least one person does not survive," Mr. Cuong emphasized.

The biggest challenge for medicine today is that the world has not yet found a vaccine or a specific treatment for the Nipah virus. Doctors are currently only able to provide intensive care and symptomatic support. With an average incubation period of 14 days and initial symptoms easily confused with the flu, this virus is quite capable of spreading silently. More frighteningly, those who are lucky enough to survive often face severe neurological sequelae such as persistent seizures, personality changes, and even encephalitis that can recur after many years.

Vietnam tightens the "shield" of border gates against the risk of intrusion

As soon as receiving information about the development of the epidemic, the delegation of the Ministry of Health led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Nhu Duong, Deputy Director of the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, directly inspected the quarantine process at key international border gates such as Huu Nghi (Lang Son) and Mong Cai (Quang Ninh). Although Vietnam has not recorded any cases of Nipah so far, the spirit of "prevention is better than cure" is being pushed to the highest level.

The health sector has asked border-gate units to strengthen surveillance, early detection and immediate handling of suspected cases with a history of travel from epidemic areas or symptoms of unexplained high fever. Although WHO assesses that the risk of international spread is currently low and has not recommended restricting trade, in the face of the unpredictable ability of the virus, Vietnamese epidemiologists still recommend that people should not be subjective, especially cautious of fruits or plant products that show signs of being bitten by animals.

What symptoms does someone infected with the Nipah virus experience, and how are they different from the flu? An Thảo16:10:14 29/01/2026The Nipah virus, which shook Southeast Asia in 1999, is returning with complex developments. Classified by the WHO as a leading cause of dangerous diseases, it has a terrifying mortality rate and leaves behind lasting neurological sequences.