A new virus has infected 35 people in China’s Shandong and Henan provinces. It is called Langya virus (LayV) from the genus Henipavirus and was identified in throat swabs thanks to metagenomic analysis and subsequent isolation of the pathogen. This infection – a zoonosis – was described in a study conducted by scientists from China and Singapore and published in Nejm, and causes symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough and can also affect liver and kidney function. There is currently no vaccine or treatment for henipavirus; The only therapy is the treatment of complications.
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The genus Henipavirus is one of the emerging zoonoses in the Asia-Pacific region. In fact, other viruses of this “family” have been observed, such as Hendra (HeV) and Nipah (NiV), which can infect humans and find their natural host in bats. According to the World Health Organization, henipaviruses can cause serious disease in animals and humans and are classified as biosafety level 4, with mortality rates between 40 and 75%. Much higher than Covid.