A newly identified virus, Langya henipavirus (LayV), has now infected 35 people in China. The virus is believed to come from animals and causes fever, tiredness and cough. So far, there is no indication that the virus is spreading from person to person.
Dr Xiang Liu, who is a postdoctoral researcher at Griffith University, said LayV is closely related to Hendra virus and Nipah virus, which are endemic to Southeast Asia.
Although the estimated fatality rate of Nipah virus is 40% to 75%, no deaths have been associated with LayV infection so far, Liu said. “Since Hendra virus and Nipah virus are both zoonotic viruses transmitted through bats and rodents, LayV was thought to be transmitted from animals to humans.
“Shrews have been suggested to be the natural reservoir of LayV. In particular, shrews are widely distributed in eastern and northeastern China, some of which live in close proximity to humans.”
Sanjaya Senanayake, an infectious disease specialist and associate professor of medicine at the Australian National University, said the shrew may be the natural reservoir of LayV, but some domestic animals were also found to be infected.
“In relation to this infection, it is still early days, but there are some reassuring signs, namely that there have been no deaths or many serious illnesses, that there do not seem to have been many cases (the most first appears to have been in 2018) and such person-to-person transmission has not been found (unlike Monkeypox and COVID-19),” Senanayake said.
Liu said there was an outbreak of henipavirus, Mojiang henipavirus, in southern China in 2012, but whether there is a relationship between the Mojiang henipavirus outbreak and the current LayV is still unknown. “Further studies are needed on LayV transmission, pathology and specific treatment,” Liu said.
LayV’s patients were mainly from Shandong and Henan provinces in eastern China, Liu said. “Based on the 35 clinical patients, no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission has been found, although continued monitoring is suggested, as the pattern of virus transmission could be altered by adaptive mutations.”
Senanayake said the announcement of a new infection is not surprising. “Over the past five decades, about 50 new infections have been described. The vast majority, such as LayV, Monkeypox and COVID-19, are viruses that have jumped from the animal world to the human world.
“The reason to be alert with this virus, however, is that it is a henipavirus, which comes from the same family as Hendra and Nipah, both of which have caused deaths in humans. Nipah has also been associated with person-to-person transmission “.
Dr Nick Fountain-Jones, who is a research associate at the University of Tasmania, said the latest findings show how incredibly important viral surveillance is. “This group of viruses poses a constant and real threat to humans and livestock, and viruses like LayV must be carefully monitored. Early detection, identification of potential reservoir hosts and contact tracing, such as was done in this study, are crucial steps in preventing the next pandemic.
“Unfortunately, just because we’re still experiencing the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic doesn’t mean another one isn’t around the corner. More funding for research, surveillance and projects like the global virome project are crucial to help to prevent future pandemics”.
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