UNDIAGNOSED ILLNESS – BANGLADESH: (RAJSHAHI) FATAL, REQUEST FOR
INFORMATION
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Sun 18 Feb 2024
Source: Prothom Alo English [edited]
https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/local-news/xdzftfxiub
The 2 siblings from Rajshahi named [Mun M], 2, and [Muf M], 5, who
succumbed to an unknown virus at Chuniapara village in Durgapur of
Rajshahi after eating Boroi (jujube), did not contract Nipah virus.
Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR)
director professor Tahmina Shireen confirmed the development to
Prothom Alo on Sunday evening [18 Feb 2024].
Wednesday afternoon [14 Feb 2024]. [Muf M] died on Saturday [17 Feb
2024]. The parents of the siblings were also admitted to the hospital
after the sudden death of their daughters.
The local physicians could not confirm whether the 2 siblings were
infected by Nipah virus or not. Later, their samples were sent to the
IEDCR in Dhaka for diagnosis.
Speaking regarding this to Prothom Alo, IEDCR director Tahmina Shireen
said, “We have tested the samples of the 2 girls. They didn’t have the
Nipah virus.”
There were discussions as to whether the 2 girls were infected by any
unknown virus or not. Asked about this, IEDCR director Tahmina Shireen
told Prothom Alo, “I only can say that the girls didn’t die of Nipah
virus. We are yet to diagnose whether they contracted any unknown
virus or not.”
The 2 siblings ate fruits before falling sick. The domestic help of
the house collected those from the ground under a tree, and those were
not washed.
The father of the 2 children, [MH], is a teacher of mathematics at
Rajshahi Cadet College. He lives in the cadet college quarters with
his family. They are from the Chuniapara village in the Durgapur
upazila of Rajshahi.
The younger daughter caught a fever in the morning on Wednesday [14
Feb 2024] and succumbed to the illness while being taken to the
hospital in the afternoon. They noticed some black spots on her body
after her death.
On the following day, the elder daughter showed similar physical
ailments, including fever and vomiting. The parents rushed her to the
Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Rajshahi.
Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, in-charge of the intensive care unit (ICU) at
Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, said the 2 siblings ate the fruits
before falling sick. When he asked the father if the jujube were
cleaned before consumption, he replied, “The domestic help collected
those from the ground under a tree, and those were not cleaned up.”