title: Nipah virus encephalitis reemergence, Bangladesh.
abstract: We retrospectively investigated two outbreaks of encephalitis in Meherpur and Naogaon, Bangladesh, which occurred in 2001 and 2003. We collected serum samples from persons who were ill, their household contacts, randomly selected residents, hospital workers, and various animals. Cases were classified as laboratory confirmed or probable. We identified 13 cases (4 confirmed, 9 probable) in Meherpur; 7 were in persons in two households. Patients were more likely than nonpatients to have close contact with other patients or have contact with a sick cow. In Naogaon, we identified 12 cases (4 confirmed, 8 probable); 7 were in persons clustered in 2 households. Two Pteropus bats had antibodies for Nipah virus. Samples from hospital workers were negative for Nipah virus antibodies. These outbreaks, the first since 1999, suggest that transmission may occur through close contact with other patients or from exposure to a common source. Surveillance and enhancement of diagnostic capacity to detect Nipah virus infection are recommended.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. vhsu@att.net
authors.forename: Vincent P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Mohammed Jahangir
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.forename: Umesh D
authors.initials: UD
authors.lastname: Parashar
authors.forename: Mohammed Monsur
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Ksiazek
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kuzmin
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niezgoda
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rupprecht
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bresee
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Breiman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000821:virology; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000821:virology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D018792:Encephalitis, Viral / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D045464:Henipavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D045405:Nipah Virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons