Between 1 January and 29 August 2025, the International Health Regulations National Focal Point (IHR NFP) for Bangladesh notified WHO of four confirmed fatal Nipah virus (NiV) infection cases, temporally unrelated, reported from four different districts across three separated geographical divisions (Barisal, Dhaka, and Rajshahi) in Bangladesh. NiV infection is a zoonotic disease transmitted to humans through infected animals (such as bats or pigs), or food contaminated with saliva, urine, and excreta of infected animals. It can also be transmitted directly from person to person through close contact with an infected person. Fruit bats or flying foxes (Pteropus species) are the natural hosts for the virus. Human NiV infection is an epidemic-prone disease that can cause severe disease in humans and animals, with a high mortality rate, and outbreaks primarily occurring in South and South-East Asia. Since the first recognized outbreak in Bangladesh in 2001, human infections have been detected almost every year. To date, Bangladesh has documented 347 NiV cases through its Nipah surveillance system established to detect and respond to outbreaks promptly, with a case fatality rate of 71.7% There are currently no specific drugs or vaccines for NiV infection; intensive supportive care is recommended to treat severe respiratory and neurologic complications. Public health efforts should focus on raising awareness of risk factors, promoting preventive measures to reduce exposure to the virus, and on early case detection supported by adequate intensive supportive care. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in Bangladesh has implemented several public health measures with support from WHO. WHO assesses the overall public health risk posed by NiV at the national and regional levels to be moderate; the risk of international disease spread is considered low.

Between 1 January and 29 August 2025, the Bangladesh IHR NFP notified WHO of four confirmed fatal Nipah virus (NiV) infection cases that occurred at different times from four separate districts across three different divisions (Barisal, Dhaka, and Rajshahi) of Bangladesh. All cases were confirmed through Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) testing, and no epidemiological links were reported to have been identified between the cases.