Researchers studying infectious diseases have discovered Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV), a bat-borne virus, in stored throat swab samples and virus cultures from five patients in Bangladesh. These individuals were originally suspected of having Nipah virus infection but later tested negative. The finding places PRV among the growing number of animal-to-human viruses identified in the country and indicates it should be considered when doctors evaluate illnesses that resemble Nipah. The research was published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
All five patients had recently consumed raw date palm sap, a sweet liquid commonly collected during winter and frequently visited by bats. This sap is already known as a major pathway for Nipah virus transmission in Bangladesh. Bats are recognized as natural hosts for…