Description of the situation
As of 20 April, WHO has received preliminary reports of one cluster of 30 cases, including 18 deaths attributed to Nipah virus infection in Faridpur district. Laboratory testing, performed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta has confirmed Nipah virus infection in 16 of the cases.
A team comprising experts from the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research, Bangladesh, the International Centre for Health and Population Research (ICDDRB), Bangladesh and the WHO country office is carrying out epidemiological investigations.
The team has developed guidelines for case management. These will be used at workshops planned for this week on infection control and safe clinical management for local medical staff in different health care settings in Faridpur district.