Prevention stressed as no specific treatment or vaccine available
Nipah encephalitis claimed four more lives in Rangpur and Lalmonirhat, raising the death toll to 24.
The government sources, however, said 16 people died of the disease in last few days and 23 people are taking treatment at Rangpur Medical College and Hospital (RMCH) and Hatibandha Sadar Hospital.
“There is no specific treatment or vaccine against the disease across the globe. So prevention, early diagnosis and symptom management are the best ways to fight the disease,” said Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque.
He told The Daily Star yesterday it would take another five to six days to understand the gravity of the situation.
Different teams of the health ministry are carrying out massive campaigns to raise awareness and taking cautionary measures in the affected areas to contain the disease, he added.
They are asking people to see a doctor if symptoms like high fever, headache, drowsiness, convulsion and respiratory difficulties are noticed.
Doctors and scientists are observing people and suggesting that they should not drink raw date juice, consume half eaten fruits and vegetables to not get exposed to the virus. People also should wash their hands with soap after coming in contact with patients.
Subodh Kumar Kundu, head of the visiting team and principal scientific officer of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), said if people take precautions now, the situation will be under control within two to three weeks since the incubation period of the virus is three weeks.
Swarna, 4, and Mahbub, 16, of Dakshin Goddimari village of Lalmonirhat, and Insan Ali and Monsur Ali, of Rangpur, have died in last 36 hours, reports our correspondent from Lalmonirhat.
The number of victims is more than what the government has declared as it is not counting the deaths at the private clinic or hospitals, reports our Rangpur correspondent.
For example, Insan Ali was shifted from RMCH to Islamic Community Hospital and he died there yesterday. But the team did not consider his case as a Nipah fatality.
Meanwhile, the local administration has declared all schools in Hatibandha upazila closed for six days from Saturday to control the spread of the disease.
Scientists said Nipah encephalitis is not a new disease in the country. As many as 10 districts have been affected by the disease since its first outbreak in 2001. The districts are Meherpur, Naogaon, Rajbari, Faridpur, Tangail, Thakurgaon, Kushtia, Manikganj, Rangpur and Lalmonirhat.
The outbreak in Faridpur in 2004 caused 27 deaths out of 36 affected people at that time. The disease usually shows up between December and May.
The government is running surveillance programme in the ten districts.
