Another Noval Virus from China
A new virus, Langya henipavirus, has been detected in China, and according to scientists, it was probably spread from animals to people. Since 2018, it has been found in 35 individuals in eastern China. There have been no documented fatalities, and according to scientists, there is no convincing proof that the virus is spread from person to person.
The Hendra henipavirus, which was found in Queensland in 1994, is connected to the illness. Four of the seven individuals who have contracted the Hendra virus in the decades since have perished.
From where did the virus originate?
At this early stage, it has mostly been found in shrews, small animals that resemble moles. The team of researchers examined 25 different species of wild animals, and they discovered LayV RNA in 71 of the 262 tested shrews.
How ill are they becoming?
The symptoms that were reported—fever, exhaustion, coughing, appetite loss, aches in the muscles, nausea, and headaches—appeared to be generally minor. The patient's length of illness is unknown.
A smaller percentage of patients suffered potentially more serious problems, such as pneumonia and changes in the function of the liver and kidneys. However, there was no information on the severity of these anomalies, the need for hospitalisation, or whether any cases were fatal.
What do related viruses teach us?
The Nipah virus and the Hendra virus, two viruses that are relevant in humans, appear to be distant relatives of this new virus. This family of viruses was the inspiration for the fictional MEV-1 virus in the film Contagion.
Since then, several horse outbreaks in Queensland and northern New South Wales have been documented. These outbreaks are widely believed to be the result of "spillover" infections from flying foxes.
Seven human cases of the Hendra virus, including four fatal cases, have been reported in Australia (primarily among veterinarians treating sick horses). Globally, the Nipah virus is more prominent, and Bangladesh is typically the site of outbreaks.
Can it spread between people?
The absence of direct contact or a history of frequent exposure, according to the experts, "suggests that the infection in the human population may be sporadic." No close-contact LayV transmission was found, according to contact tracing of nine patients and 15 close-contact family members.
However, they added, "Our sample size was too insufficient to assess the state of human-to-human transmission for LayV."
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