China: 35 people found infected with Langya henipavirus or new 'Langya' virus

Beijing: China has so far reported 35 cases of a new type of animal-derived virus, known as Henipavirus or "Langya" henipavirus (LayV). According to Taiwan's Taipei Times, these cases have been reported in Henan and Shandong provinces.

Out of 35 patients, 26 of them were reportedly infected with only Langya virus. No other pathogens were reportedly found in the bodies of these patients. Notably, no vaccine is available for the Langya virus. All the cases detected in China were reported to be mild with flu-like symptoms. The virus was found in the throat samples from febrile patients.

Notably, bat-borne henipaviruses have resulted in rise in cases of zoonotic diseases, an infection from animals to humans, in Asia and even in Australia. These pathogens are likely to be bacterial, viral or parasitic. The henipavirus is considered to be from a family of viruses, including Nipah virus, that can be fatal.

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Fever, a cough, loss of appetite, fatigue, muscle ache, headache, and vomiting are some of the symptoms of the virus. The twenty-six patients out of 35 have reported developed these symptoms, reported DNA. A decline in white blood cells and low platelet count were reported in these patients. They also suffer from liver and kidney failures. It is still not clear whether the virus is transmitted through humans.

According to the research led by the Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, it was discovered that there were no infections of Langya virus during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic between January and July 2020. However, 11 more Langya virus cases were reportedly found after July 2020.