Nipah Again? New Bat Virus Detected in Bangladesh Patients, Scientists Warn

A recent study has identified human infections caused by a bat-borne virus in Bangladesh, prompting renewed concern about zoonotic disease surveillance in South Asia. While the Nipah virus - transmitted by fruit bats- remains a known public health threat in the region, researchers detected another virus, Pteropine orthoreovirus, or PRV, in patients who showed severe Nipah-like symptoms but tested negative for Nipah infection. Published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, the study says PRV was previously overlooked because it mimics Nipah-like symptoms - detected in archived throat swab samples from five patients who had recently consumed raw date-palm sap, a known transmission route for bat viruses in the region. Scientists say the findings

indicate that harmful bat-borne viruses may be infecting humans more frequently than previously understood, particularly in regions where people live in close contact with bats. This has important implications for India and the neighbouring countries where such viruses are endemic, highlighting the need to expand disease surveillance and diagnostic testing beyond the Nipah virus to better detect and manage emerging infections.

What does the study say?

Scientists from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and Bangladeshi partners analysed clinical samples from five patients in Bangladesh, originally suspected of having Nipah due to similar symptoms like fever, headache, vomiting, fatigue, and neurological involvement. However, tests for Nipah were negative. By applying advanced genomic tools such as viral capture sequencing (VCS), researchers were able to detect the genetic material of PRV in patient samples and successfully isolate and grow the live virus in laboratory cultures, confirming that the infections were active rather than incidental.

What is PRV?

PRV is part of a virus family commonly carried by bats and has previously been found mainly in animals or linked to mild illness in humans elsewhere. The Bangladesh findings suggest the virus can also cause severe disease in people, including respiratory and neurological symptoms, and may go undetected if testing is limited to standard Nipah virus screening alone.

Why does the study matter?

This discovery, scientists say, is extremely significant as the Nipah virus continues to pose a serious public health threat since two confirmed cases came from India in December last year. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that Nipah infections carry a high fatality rate of 40 to 75 per cent and can spread through contact with fruit bats, consumption of contaminated food, or direct human-to-human transmission. The risk of outbreaks increases during winter and early spring, when fruit bats commonly feed on raw date-palm sap, a seasonal delicacy in the region. During feeding, bats can contaminate the sap with saliva or urine - a spillover pathway already well established for Nipah virus. The detection of PRV broadens this risk landscape. “Our findings show that the disease risk linked to raw date-palm sap consumption extends beyond Nipah virus,” said Dr. Nischay Mishra, the study’s lead author. Researchers stress that PRV should now be considered in clinical evaluations of patients presenting with Nipah-like symptoms, underscoring the need for wider diagnostic testing and surveillance.Also read: Can You Get Pregnant With Endometriosis? Fertility Expert Explains

Ways to protect yourself

• Make sure to always wash your hands regularly with soap and water.
• Avoid any contact with flying fox bats or sick pigs.
• Avoid areas where bats roost.
• Completely avoid touching anything that could be soiled by bats.
• Avoid eating raw date palm sap or fruit that could be soiled by bats.