Shawdesh desk:

A 25-year-old woman, who was admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital with symptoms of Nipah virus infection, died on Wednesday, 20 days after her father-in-law had died of the same virus.

The deceased is Farida Begum, wife of Abdul Khalek of Chakoar village under Manda upazila in the district.

Besides, the mother-in-law of Farida has been undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital with the same symptoms.

Dr Bijoy Kumar, Manda Upazila Health Officer, said that Farida was admitted to Manda Upazila Health Complex on Sunday with fever and cold.

Later, the hospital authorities took samples suspecting that she was infected with Nipah virus and sent the sample to Dhaka for test.

Meanwhile, she was shifted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital where she breathed her last at about 5:00pm.

Local people said that Abdul Khalek along with his family took raw date juice on February 4. On February 6, Khalek caught fever and cold. He was taken to Naogaon Sadar hospital the next day and later he died on way to Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital on February 8.

Dr Bijoy Kumar Roy said that a medical team had already been sent to the area and process was on to take necessary steps.

A total of five people died of Nipah virus across the country this year, health minister Zahid Maleque said on January 29.

Healthy people who come in contact with the infected ones also have possibility of being infected with the virus and it spreads from person to person quickly which is a matter of concern, he added.

The government has taken steps to prevent the spread of Nipah virus, said the minister.

According to icddr,b, in Bangladesh, Nipah virus is usually acquired through consumption of date palm sap contaminated with bat saliva or urine.