A daylong workshop on prevention and control of Nipah Virus disease organised by
Disease Control branch of Health Directorate, Mahakhali, Dhaka was held yesterday at
Bhanga Upazilla Health Complex.
The workshop was chaired by Upazilla health officer of Bhanga Dr. Imran Hossain while
it was attended by the consultant of Disease Control, Mahakhali Dr. Ali Murtoza Russel,
twelve union parishad chairmen, teachers of different educational institutions, journalists
and Imams of mosques.
Speakers particularly the doctors disclosed that the deadly disease of Nipah Virus with
the symptoms of high fever breaks out in the winter season by drinking date juice which
generally gets contaminated by the bats.
The doctors stressed the need for creating awareness about drinking date juice and collect
the juice from protected container.
They urged the social leader to create awareness in the rural areas among the juice
collectors(Gachi) so that they put cover on the container fixed with date tree preventing
the bat from drinking the juice.
The doctors also urged the social leaders to reach this message learnt from this workshop
to the grass root level for creating alertness among the people.
It may be mentioned here that this district is a Nipah Virus prone area and this disease
claimed at least twenty four lives in 2003 and in later period.
It is learnt from the local senior doctors here that initially the disease could not be
diagnosed and people attacked by the virus died without any specific treatment.
However several Ngos in collaboration with Disease Control branch of Mahakhali are
working in different parts of this district on preventive measures. -BSS
