Nipah Again? New Bat Virus Detected in Bangladesh Patients, Scientists Warn
Scientists have identified a new bat-borne virus, Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV), in patients from Bangladesh who showed Nipah-like symptoms but tested negative for Nipah itself. This discovery highlights risks from raw date-palm sap consumption, a known pathway for bat virus transmission in the region.
PRV belongs to the orthoreovirus family and was detected via advanced genomic sequencing in archived throat swabs from five patients. It caused severe symptoms like fever, headache, vomiting, fatigue, and neurological issues, mimicking Nipah but evading standard tests. Researchers confirmed active infection by culturing the live virus.
Bangladesh faces ongoing Nipah threats, with fruit bats as natural reservoirs and seasonal outbreaks linked to winter sap collection. PRV adds to zoonotic concerns, suggesting broader surveillance is needed beyond Nipah-focused diagnostics. The study, published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, urges considering PRV in similar cases.
Given shared bat populations and cultural practices like raw sap intake in eastern India (e.g., West Bengal, Kerala), this raises alerts for neighboring regions. Enhanced testing and public awareness could prevent overlooked outbreaks. No human-to-human spread of PRV is confirmed yet.
