Nipah to become category 5 disease in March: CDCBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterNipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said. Centers for Disease Control Director-General Philip Lo, left, gives an update on Nipah virus at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. The five hospital infections in India were traced to a patient hospitalized last year, who died of suspected Nipah virus infection and had drunk raw date palm sap before the onset of symptoms, CDC Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said. Local media reported that authorities collected samples from nine fruit bats and 24 date palm sap containers for testing, and Nipah antibodies were detected in one bat, suggesting prior exposure, he said.

Source: Taipei Times January 27, 2026 16:05 UTC