New Zoonotic Disease Henipavirus Discovered in Chinese Province of Shandong and Henan

New Zoonotic Disease Henipavirus Discovered in Chinese Provinence of Shandong and Henan

Another zoonotic virus has made news in China, as India battles to tackle the dual threats of COVID-19 and monkeypox. 35 persons in the Chinese provinces of Shandong and Henan have contracted this brand-new Langya Henipavirus or Henipavirus which is originated from animals.

The Langya Henipavirus was reportedly discovered in throat swab samples taken from febrile patients in eastern China, according to the state-run Global Times.

The affected people have displayed a variety of symptoms, such as fever, exhaustion, coughing, anorexia, myalgia, and nausea. Henipavirus is presently not treatable or preventable.

The symptoms of fever, irritability, cough, anorexia, myalgia, nausea, headache, and vomiting have been present in 26 of the 35 cases of Langya Henipavirus. The Taipei Times reports that some infected individuals also displayed a drop in white blood cell counts, a low platelet count, liver failure, and renal failure.

The Deputy Director-General of Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control, Chuang Jen-hsiang, reportedly stated that there had been no reports of the virus spreading from person to person. He said that neither intimate contact nor a shared history of exposure existed among the 35 afflicted people. There was no viral transmission among close contacts, according to contact tracing. The CDC hasn't completely ruled out the prospect of human-to-human transmission, though.

According to Wang Linfa, a Professor in the Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases at Duke-NUS Medical School who was involved in the study, "The cases of Langya henipavirus so far have not been fatal or very serious, so there is no need for panic," there is still reason for concern because many viruses that exist in nature can have unpredictable effects when they infect humans.