Emerging Infectious Diseases (Oct 2008)

Risk Factors for Nipah Virus Encephalitis in Bangladesh

  • Joel M. Montgomery,
  • Mohamed J. Hossain,
  • E. Gurley,
  • D.S. Carroll,
  • A. Croisier,
  • E. Bertherat,
  • N. Asgari,
  • P. Formenty,
  • N. Keeler,
  • J. Comer,
  • M.R. Bell,
  • K. Akram,
  • A.R. Molla,
  • K. Zaman,
  • Mohamed R. Islam,
  • K. Wagoner,
  • J.N. Mills,
  • P.E. Rollin,
  • T.G. Ksiazek,
  • R.F. Breiman

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1410.060507
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 10
pp. 1526 – 1532

Abstract

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Nipah virus (NiV) is a paramyxovirus that causes severe encephalitis in humans. During January 2004, twelve patients with NiV encephalitis (NiVE) were identified in west-central Bangladesh. A case–control study was conducted to identify factors associated with NiV infection. NiVE patients from the outbreak were enrolled in a matched case-control study. Exact odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by using a matched analysis. Climbing trees (83% of cases vs. 51% of controls, OR 8.2, 95% CI 1.25–∞) and contact with another NiVE patient (67% of cases vs. 9% of controls, OR 21.4, 95% CI 2.78–966.1) were associated with infection. We did not identify an increased risk for NiV infection among persons who had contact with a potential intermediate host. Although we cannot rule out person-to-person transmission, case-patients were likely infected from contact with fruit bats or their secretions.

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