Professor Dr Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the interim government, said that the woman infected with Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) died due to sepsis, not directly from the virus.

The patient had been unwell for over a month before her passing.

In an emergency briefing held at the Ministry of Health on Thursday, Dr Rahman explained that the woman had been undergoing general treatment near her home for an extended period, which was not adequately recognized.

When her condition worsened, she sought care at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where she was admitted.

Four days later, as her health declined further, she was transferred to another hospital in Dhaka. It was during this time that tests revealed she was HMPV-positive.

“The patient presented with sepsis when she was admitted to the hospital. HMPV was diagnosed during her treatment. Globally, it is noted that death due to HMPV alone is rare. However, patients with underlying conditions or compromised immune systems may develop complications. In this case, the patient, though generally healthy, had an underactive thyroid. Her death resulted from organ failure caused by sepsis, not HMPV,” said Dr Rahman.

He further said: “HMPV acts as a seasonal flu virus that has been present both locally and internationally. Our improved testing capabilities, particularly post-Covid, have allowed us to detect many viruses, including HMPV. Routine scanning would likely show a small portion of the population with HMPV, but it is not commonly fatal.”

The patient was on artificial respiration in the hospital, and while her condition initially improved, it worsened again after eight hours, ultimately leading to her death.

Dr Rahman expressed condolences on behalf of the ministry and urged the public to maintain general hygiene practices to prevent infections.

The woman’s death occurred on Wednesday night in the capital’s Infectious Diseases Hospital.

The hospital’s supervisor, Dr Ariful Bashar, confirmed the incident.

Despite her HMPV-positive status, doctors maintained that the virus was not the direct cause of her death.

HMPV is not a new virus, with researchers tracing its presence in Bangladesh back to 2001.

Although infections have been identified through increased testing, no deaths have been directly linked to the virus thus far.