A concerning new virus that is believed to be passed from shrews to humans has been discovered in China with experts warning it could kill up to 75% of cases.
The Langya Henipavirus, or “Langya” has already infected 35 people in China as experts scramble to study the cause and severity of the illness in those patients.
So far none of these people have become seriously ill or died, according to Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) via The Taipei Times ’ report.
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No human-to-human transmissions have been detected yet, although cases are understood to have cropped up in the Shandong and Henan provinces of China.
In 26 of the cases, Flu-like symptoms have been detected while fatigue, a cough, loss of appetite, muscle pain, nausea, headaches and vomiting have all also been seen.
A decrease in white blood cells, a low platelet count, liver failure and kidney failure were also detected in some cases.
An expert from the CDC said that the patients are not thought to have had close contact with one another.
No traces of the virus among their contacts raises hopes that transmission between people is rare although research is still ongoing to work out if it is possible.
A study of domestic animals found that 5% of dogs and 2% of goats tested positive for the virus. It was found in 27% of shrews, indicating they might be a natural store of the virus.
Two other viruses have been detected in the past in the same family - known as Henipavirus - Hendra virus and Nipah virus.
China is understood to be developing a nucleic acid testing method to identify the virus.
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine called “A Zoonotic Henipavirus in Febrile Patients in China” has noted the cases. It said that of the 35 total cases, 26 of the patients were infected only with Langya.
Meanwhile, researchers have said the virus is known to kill up to 75% of severe infected cases.
However, none of the current Langya infections have yet been fatal.
As yet, there is no Langya virus vaccine to protect people against the newly identified disease.
So far the henipavirus has only been found in two of China's provinces - Shandong and Henan - and there is no sign yet of human-to-human transmission.
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