Abstract
Background: Nipah virus (NiV) is an emerging bat-borne virus that has caused repeated outbreaks in Bangladesh and India with over 70% mortality. NiV outbreaks are spatially clustered in Bangladesh, predominantly linked to the consumption of bat-contaminated raw date palm sap (RDPS) in the Western region (Nipah Belt). Nevertheless, NiV has been detected in bats across the country. Hence, this study aimed to determine how behavioral and ecological drivers contribute to spatial differences in NiV outbreaks in Bangladesh.
Methods: Between 2022 and 2023, we conducted a behavioral and ecological survey among 2400 participants across six district communities in Bangladesh to determine how palm sap consumption, geography, and other behaviours influence exposure.
Results: The study revealed a significantly (p<0.001) higher proportion of households in the Nipah belt that consume raw date palm sap (RDPS) (55.5% vs 16.8%), harvest RDPS (13.4% vs 1.6%), own date palm trees (28.6% vs 7.2%), grazing domestic animals under bat roosts (43.5% vs 15.3%), and eating bat bitten fruits (43.2% vs 29%) compared to households outside of the Nipah Belt. Using a generalized linear mixed effects model (GLM), we found that gender, education, income, harvesting sap, and owning a date palm tree significantly influenced the consumption of RDPS and were associated with NiV outbreaks in Bangladesh.
Conclusion: The higher consumption of RDPS contaminated with bat excreta in western regions could conceivably drive a spatial discrepancy in NiV outbreaks. We recommend One Health surveillance and behavioural interventions to prevent bat-borne viral spillover from bats to humans and domestic animals in Bangladesh.
Methods: Between 2022 and 2023, we conducted a behavioral and ecological survey among 2400 participants across six district communities in Bangladesh to determine how palm sap consumption, geography, and other behaviours influence exposure.
Results: The study revealed a significantly (p<0.001) higher proportion of households in the Nipah belt that consume raw date palm sap (RDPS) (55.5% vs 16.8%), harvest RDPS (13.4% vs 1.6%), own date palm trees (28.6% vs 7.2%), grazing domestic animals under bat roosts (43.5% vs 15.3%), and eating bat bitten fruits (43.2% vs 29%) compared to households outside of the Nipah Belt. Using a generalized linear mixed effects model (GLM), we found that gender, education, income, harvesting sap, and owning a date palm tree significantly influenced the consumption of RDPS and were associated with NiV outbreaks in Bangladesh.
Conclusion: The higher consumption of RDPS contaminated with bat excreta in western regions could conceivably drive a spatial discrepancy in NiV outbreaks. We recommend One Health surveillance and behavioural interventions to prevent bat-borne viral spillover from bats to humans and domestic animals in Bangladesh.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication status | Published - 04 Apr 2025 |
| Event | ASID Annual Scientific Meeting 2025 - Hyatt Hotel Canberra, Canberra, Australia Duration: 02 Apr 2025 → 05 Apr 2025 https://www.asidasm.com/ |
Conference
| Conference | ASID Annual Scientific Meeting 2025 |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | The changing face of infectious disease |
| Country/Territory | Australia |
| City | Canberra |
| Period | 02/04/25 → 05/04/25 |
| Internet address |