Nipah encephalitis claimed two more lives in Dinajpur and Gaibandha yesterday, raising the death toll to 27.
Masuma Akhter Moni, 11, of Belaichandi village in Parbatipur upazila of Dinajpur, and Muktar, 45, of Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha, died at Rangpur Medical College Hospital around 12:00noon.
Moni was admitted to the hospital with high fever on Tuesday while Muktar on Wednesday, said a source at the hospital.
Contacted, Dr Towfiqur Rahman, director of the hospital, confirmed the deaths.
Md Monsur Ali Sarker, civil surgeon of Dinajpur, visited Belaichandi village in Parbatipur.
Eighteen Nipah encephalitis infected people are now undergoing treatment at RMCH, hospital sources said.
Meanwhile, Dr Khondoker Mohammad Shefayetullah, director general of the Directorate General of Health Services yesterday said that no new cases of Nipah virus infection were found in the last four days.
“The infection of Nipah virus is now under control. The crisis period is over and there is almost no chance of secondary infection,” said Dr Shefayetullah at a press conference at the auditorium of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
Meantime, three people from Rajbari were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital last night with symptoms of Nipah virus, DMCH sources said.
The three are Abul Kalam, 55, his son Rusel, 18, and his nephew Abul Kalam, 18.
Kalam’s wife Asma Begum told this correspondent that five members of her family fell sick after taking some date juice on Monday.
Two of them, however, recovered by taking some medicines at home.
The three were first taken to Faridpur Medical College Hospital where the doctors refused to admit them.
They then went to Enam Medical College Hospital at Savar yesterday morning. After some initial tests, doctors suspected them to be affected with Nipah virus and referred them to Mohakhali Infectious Disease Hospital.
Refused to be admitted, they finally came to DMCH.
