Nipah virus is a highly lethal zoonotic pathogen first identified in Malaysia in 1998, but Bangladesh has experienced repeated outbreaks since 2001. Scientific evidence shows that fruit bats—particularly those of the Pteropodidae family—are the natural reservoirs of the virus. In Bangladesh, people commonly consume raw date palm sap, a traditional beverage collected overnight from tapped palm trees and often stored in open containers. Nocturnal fruit bats may contaminate this sap by licking or defecating into the collection pots. When humans drink this contaminated sap, they can become infected with Nipah virus. The infection can cause severe respiratory illness and encephalitis, with a case fatality rate ranging from 40% to 75%. Moreover, Nipah virus can spread from person to person, especially among close contacts such as family members or healthcare workers. The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed Nipah virus as a priority pathogen for research and development, urging enhanced surveillance, public awareness, and food safety measures—such as boiling raw date palm sap before consumption—to interrupt transmission. Prevention hinges on avoiding unpasteurized natural juices and raising awareness about the risks associated with fruit bat exposure.
尼帕病毒(Nipah virus)是一种高致死率的人畜共患病病毒,首次于1998年在马来西亚被发现,但孟加拉国自2001年以来多次暴发疫情。研究表明,果蝠(尤其是狐蝠科)是尼帕病毒的天然宿主。在孟加拉国,人们常饮用未经处理的椰枣汁(又称棕榈汁),这种饮料通常在夜间从棕榈树上采集,并储存在开放容器中。果蝠在夜间活动时可能舔食或排泄于这些容器中,从而将病毒污染到饮料里。人类饮用被污染的椰枣汁后,就可能感染尼帕病毒。该病毒可引发严重呼吸道疾病和脑炎,病死率高达40%至75%。此外,尼帕病毒还具备人际传播能力,尤其在密切接触者之间,如家庭成员或医护人员中更易扩散。世界卫生组织已将尼帕病毒列为优先研究的病原体之一,呼吁加强监测、公众教育和食品安全措施,例如对椰枣汁进行煮沸处理,以切断传播途径。预防的关键在于避免饮用未经消毒的天然汁液,并提高对果蝠潜在风险的认识。
原创文章,作者:admin,如若转载,请注明出处:https://avine.cn/22117.html