New Delhi: According to an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) by scientists from China and Singapore, the Langya henipavirus, which has so far infected 35 people in two provinces of China, has the potential to cause acute liver and kidney infections. The viral strain has recently been identified with the sore throats of people with febrile exposure to animals.
As The Guardian reports, Langya virus was first detected in late 2018, but was only formally identified by scientists last week. The virus has been detected in people, mostly farmers, with symptoms of mild fever.
Is human-to-human transmission possible?
So far, no reports of human-to-human transmission have been observed. The virus is completely new, meaning it has never infected humans. Further studies about the virus will establish whether human-to-human transmission of this strain is possible.
However, the study noted, “There was no close contact or general exposure history between patients, which suggests that infection may be sporadic in the human population.
“Contact tracing of nine patients with 15 close contact family members revealed no close-contact LayV transmission. But our sample size was too small to determine the status of human-to-human transmission for LayV.” ” added this.
Hendra virus and Nipah virus are two viruses of the same family as Langya virus, both of which are deadly and dangerous to mankind. However, there is no vaccine or treatment available for them either, The Sun reported.
Also read: Langya virus: New viral infection surfaced in China; Know how dangerous it is
Where did the Langya virus originate?
The viral infection has been found in 71 of 262 rogues surveyed in two Chinese provinces – a small mole-like mammal, reports the Daily Mail. Along with chatur, the virus was also seen in dogs (5 percent) and goats (2 percent). However, the strain is not very aggressive and most of the time dies on its own.
Symptoms of Langya Virus:
According to a study by scientists from China, Singapore and Australia published in the New England Journal of Medicine, 26 of 35 cases of Langya henipavirus infection in Shandong and Henan provinces developed the following clinical symptoms:
- fever
- irritability
- cough
- anorexia
- myalgia
- Nausea
- Headache
- Vomiting
It is suggested by doctors that the symptoms of viral infection are not serious and life-threatening. Basic supportive care is needed to prevent infection as no vaccine is available. Doctors also suggest that there is no need to panic with this disease as it seems non-aggressive as of now.
In the aftermath of COVID, advanced types of equipment have been installed to finely track the outbreak of the new pathogen.