Researchers in China have identified a new henipavirus associated with a febrile human illness. Known as Langya virus or LayV virus, it is a new zoonotic disease recently detected in a rural region of China, which is transmitted from animals to humans, the Langya virus is becoming a strong problem in that Asian country. Currently, 35 positive cases have been registered for this virus.
For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified it as viral as biosafety level 4, considering the disease to be of high risk of transmission by aerosols and can cause fatal diseases. Henipaviruses have mortality rates of between 40 and 75 percent, according to information from the WHO.
According to researchers at the Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology in Beijing, this virus has been found mainly in shrews.
So far there are no vaccines or treatments for this disease, its method of detection is taking throat samples from patients who had recent contact with animals.
Some researchers say no signs of person-to-person transmission have been seen. Only those who have frequent and direct contact with shrews can be at risk of becoming infected.
However, it has been shown that the “Langya henipavirus” although it has been found mainly in shrews, has also been discovered in some dogs, horses and goats.
Now the concern is to learn more about whether the infection of other species could allow the virus to adapt to humans. This is an issue that scientists will have to be vigilant about.
Some of the infected patients developed symptoms of kidney and liver damage, fever and headache, cough, vomiting, fatigue, loss of appetite and muscle aches.
