For the first time, five people in Bangladesh have been found to have reovirus, a virus that was first discovered in the United States in 1950. According to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), none of the people had serious health problems, and they’ve all recovered and gone back home. Health officials say there’s no need to be worried about the virus right now.
Reovirus spreads mostly through sneezing and coughing, and it’s more common during the colder months. If someone gets infected, they might have symptoms like fever, headaches, trouble breathing, vomiting, and diarrhea. In rare cases, it can lead to more serious issues like pneumonia or brain inflammation, which is known as encephalitis. Children and older adults are more at risk.
Professor Tahmina Shirin, who leads IEDCR, explained that the virus was found during some routine research with Columbia University. They were testing samples because of the risk of Nipah virus, which can be caught from drinking raw date juice. While no Nipah virus was found, they did detect reovirus in five of the samples.
This discovery could also help doctors better understand and treat encephalitis, a condition that causes brain swelling and has affected many people in Bangladesh, though doctors haven’t been able to figure out the cause. This research could lead to better treatments for these patients in the future.
Source: Independent News
