The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The viral encephalitis caused by Nipah virus claimed five lives in the country in the last two days in Rajbari and Faridpur. But no fresh infection was received, said health officials.

Mahmudur Rahman, a senior health official, yesterday said, "Nobody is infected with the Nipah virus today and none died. The condition of the child, who is under treatment in Dhaka Medical College, is now better."

"Our special team will visit the affected areas today (Tuesday)," he said.

Meanwhile, a woman in Rajbari died of the disease Saturday night, said doctors and added that she fell unconcisious on February 18 after she drank date juice earlier, which was the suspected cause of the disease. A special medical team after examining the blood, bone marrow and saliva of the patient confirmed Nipah virus as the cause of her death.

Twenty people affected by Nipah virus had died in Faridpur in 2004.

The virus, named after the Malaysian village where it was first detected, jumped the species barrier from fruit bats and then to humans in October 1998.