Scientists identify 1st Zika virus cluster in Bangladesh

DHAKA, Bangladesh

Scientists have identified the first cluster infection of the Zika virus in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, marking the first instance of multiple infections detected in one location.

This development raises concerns for the densely populated city of 20 million, already grappling with high cases of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue.

According to a study by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), five cases of Zika virus have been confirmed in Dhaka. One of the patients was also co-infected with dengue — the first documented case of such a coinfection in the country.

The study, based on samples screened in 2023 and released today, used whole genome sequencing and comparative analysis to determine that the Bangladeshi Zika strains belong to the Asian lineage. This variant is known for its association with severe complications, including microcephaly and neurological disorders.

Bangladesh recorded over 100,100 hospitalizations and 575 deaths from dengue last year. Emerging viral pathogens like chikungunya and Zika are also becoming major public health concerns.

Although the first human case of Zika virus was identified in Nigeria in 1954, it circulated silently across Asia and Africa for over five decades. Bangladesh previously detected a single confirmed case of Zika in 2016.

For this study, researchers screened 152 patients at icddr,b’s diagnostic facility in Dhaka’s Mohakhali neighborhood using PCR-based testing. All five infected individuals lived within a one-kilometer radius and had no travel history outside Bangladesh in the past two years. The cases were detected within about a month, indicating a potential chain of local transmission.

The study underscores the need for nationwide screening to assess the virus's spread.