Dhaka, Jan. 29 -- Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said the Nipah virus afflicted eight people around the country this winter, claiming five lives.

Most of the cases were from Rajshahi Division and all were currently in treatment, Maleque said on Sunday. "The infected are under care at the Mohakhali Infectious Disease Hospital. Authorities have set up a separate ICU at the hospital," he said.

Mentioning that the number of infected was "higher" than last year, Maleque said efforts to prevent the disease from spreading were underway through promotional materials on TV and in newspapers.

The zoonotic virus can be transmitted from animals to humans, through foods contaminated by animals and from humans to humans, according to icddr,b, a h...