As the world is torn between recovering from the lethal COVID-19 and getting to know Monkey Virus, another virus has now hit China. The new virus named Langya henipavirus (LayV) has infected 35 patients in two of provinces with largely mild symptoms. The virus is animal-driven and is a part of the same family as the deadly Nipah virus.
The affected provinces include the Henan and Shandong provinces of China, where the disease was detected in the throat samples from the patients. It comes from a family of viruses that is reported to kill about “three-quarters” of humans in the case of extreme infections.
The cases which have come up in China up till now have symptoms such as mild, flu-like symptoms. The Chinese media says 26 patients are experiencing fever, cough, appetite loss, nausea, headaches, muscle discomfort and vomiting.
Other infected persons in Henan and Shandong have also experienced lower white blood cells, low platelet count, liver failure and renal failure. The authorities have begun using nucleic acid testing procedures to track the virus.
An earlier study by the Beijing Institute of Microbiology has shown that Langya was first found in humans in 2019. However, no cases were found between January and July 2020, researchers share. The Langya virus belongs to the family of the lethal Nipah Virus, which is commonly found in bats.
Research in China has also found instances of Langya virus in 71 of the 262 shrews that were tested in the Henan and Shandong provinces. Besides shrews, the Langya virus was also detected in dogs (5%) and goats (2%), according to a publication.
