Alert to all of the concerned aunties and uncles out there, spreading the concerning tale of the deadly Nipah virus being spread via our country’s beloved plate proxy, the humble banana leaf: It’s not true.
Selangor state health director Dr Khalid Ibrahim has gone on record to say that the story of a Rawang-area woman being struck and killed by the virus after indulging in a banana leaf meal is unfounded, and no Selangor hospitals have reported any such case.
Scores of Malaysians were forwarded a message over the last week via WhatsApp that claimed as much:
“A Gentle Reminder. Banana Leaf – Foods/Kueh Kueh/Nasi Lemak & others Wrap In banana leaf. My sister ‘s immediate Neighbour went for Banana Leaf Rice with her Bro-in-law in Rawang Town on Thursday for lunch. In the evening she was feeling unwell, shortness of breath. Went to Clinic & came home. At night around 9pm admitted to KPJ Rawang Town Hospital & suspected Nipah Virus. Passed away yesterday evening. Aged :32. Life is so uncertain.”
Dramatic? Yes. Fear-mongering? Definitely. A spoiler of our Friday lunch plans? Almost, but we know better than to believe unverified messages forwarded by the same person who once told us to keep a stash of canned goods and water for the impending 2012 apocalypse.
Nipah virus is a dangerous infectious disease caused by sick pigs and infected bats. Symptoms can vary from none to fever, cough, headache, shortness of breath, and confusion. This may worsen into a coma over a day or two. Complications can include inflammation of the brain and seizures following recovery. There is no effective treatment for the disease, just supporting care, and mortality rates vary from 50-75%.
Scary stuff, but your banana leaves are safe. With this kind of stuff, always wait for your state medical officials to issue a warning before going into panic and forward mode, guys.
On that note — we’re off to lunch. See you at Visalatchi!
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