CVASU professor dies after being infected with Japanese encephalitis

PNN News Desk. Chattogram

Professor Dr. Zakia Sultana Juthi of Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU) has died after being infected with the rare mosquito-borne disease Japanese encephalitis. Her sudden death after only a few days of illness has cast a shadow of grief over the university campus and the medical community.

According to family sources, Dr. Juthi fell ill on May 4 with mild fever, severe headache, and vomiting symptoms. Her condition worsened, and she was initially admitted to a private hospital in Chattogram. Later, as her condition deteriorated further, she was transferred to Evercare Hospital.

Doctors said that shortly after admission, multiple strokes or brain hemorrhages occurred in her brain. While being transferred to Evercare Hospital, she suffered a cardiac arrest. She was later declared clinically brain dead by doctors and eventually died while undergoing intensive care.

Experts believe she was infected with Japanese encephalitis virus transmitted by Culex mosquitoes. This virus can cause severe infection in the human nervous system and brain. Doctors said that complications from the virus led to multiple strokes in her brain.

Health experts say Japanese encephalitis is relatively rare but extremely dangerous. If not diagnosed and treated in time, the patient’s condition can rapidly become critical.

Dr. Zakia Sultana Juthi was a student of Bangladesh Agricultural University (2007–08 academic session). She completed her PhD from Hiroshima University in Japan and postdoctoral research from Kyushu University. After returning to Bangladesh, she joined CVASU as a professor in the Faculty of Food Science and Technology and was actively involved in research. She was promoted to professor earlier this year.

Her husband, Professor Dr. Sharif Hossain Arnob, is a teacher at Bangladesh Agricultural University. She was the mother of a five-year-old child.

CVASU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Mohammad Lutfur Rahman expressed deep sorrow over her death. The university administration extended condolences to her family.