# Bat Reovirus as Cause of Acute Respiratory Disease and Encephalitis in Humans, Bangladesh, 2022–2023

## TL;DR

A bat-borne virus, not Nipah, was found in patients with respiratory and brain symptoms in Bangladesh, suggesting it may cause similar illnesses.

## Contribution

Identified Pteropine orthoreovirus as a potential cause of Nipah-like illnesses through high-throughput sequencing.

## Key findings

- Pteropine orthoreovirus was detected in patients with Nipah-like symptoms.
- Nipah virus tests were negative despite clinical suspicion.
- The virus was isolated from throat swab samples and cultures.

## Abstract

We report 5 patients in Bangladesh presumed to have Nipah virus infections after consuming raw date palm sap. PCR and serology for Nipah virus were negative, but high-throughput sequencing identified Pteropine orthoreovirus in archived throat swab samples and virus cultures. This batborne virus should be considered in differential diagnosis of Nipah-like illnesses.