Increase in cases of a new disease in China
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So far 35 people have been infected in eastern China’s Shandong province and central China’s Henan province, where Chinese and Singaporean scientists have identified these cases as a new type of henipavirus derived from animals (also called henipavirus Langya).
This new type of henipavirus has been found in throat swab samples from febrile patients in eastern China with a history of recent contact with animals which, according to their study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and from which Global Times has echoed.
Human-to-human transmission of the virus has not been proven so far, although previous reports suggest that the virus can be transmitted from person to person.
According to this study, collected by the Chinese media, this newly discovered virus, which can come from animals, is associated with some cases of fever, presenting symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, anorexia, myalgia and nausea.
26 out of 35 cases of Langya henipavirus infection in Shandong and Henan provinces have developed clinical symptoms such as fever, irritability, cough, anorexia, myalgia, nausea, headache, and vomiting.
Both Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV) of this genus infect humans, with fruit bats being the natural host for both viruses. Both henipavirus is one of the important emerging causes of zoonoses in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to data from the World Health Organization (OMS), henipaviruses can cause severe disease in animals and humans and are classified as biosafety level 4 viruses with case fatality rates between 40 and 75%.
However, there is currently no vaccine or treatment for henipavirus and the only treatment is supportive care to manage complications.
Wang Linfa, Professor in the Emerging Infectious Diseases Program at Duke-NUS Medical School, commented, “The Langya henipavirus cases so far have not been fatal or very serious, so there is no need to panic.
The Deputy Chief Physician of the Department of Infectious Diseases of Huashan Hospital, affiliated with Fudan University (China). He noted, “Coronavirus will not be the last infectious disease to cause a global pandemic, as new infectious diseases will have an increasing impact on the daily lives of human beings. Posted by Iraic.info, a news and information agency.
