Bat-borne PRV found in Nipah-suspect cases prompts broader surveillance
Bangladesh researchers detected Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV) in archived throat swabs from five patients initially suspected of Nipah virus infection, suggesting bat-borne viruses may co-circulate with Nipah and should be considered in NiV-like illnesses. NiV tests were negative, but sequencing confirmed PRV (and in some cases virus growth in culture). All patients had recently consumed raw date-palm sap, and while two patients recovered, one died and others reported lingering symptoms; findings underscore the potential for reassortment in segmented viruses and call for broader surveillance and differential diagnoses in regions where palm sap is consumed.