INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A new virus, which can be transmitted to humans from animals, has infected 35 people in Shandong and Henan provinces, according to a study
by scientists from China, Singapore and Australia published in the New England Journal of Medicine.So far, there has been no evidence of
human-to-human transmission.The Henipavirus (also called Langya henipavirus or LayV) was first detected in late 2018 but was only formally
identified by scientists last week, the Guardian reported.It was discovered thanks to an early detection system for feverish people with a
recent history of exposure to animals, Bloomberg reported.The virus was found after throat swabs were taken from the patients who were
mostly farmers.The virus is entirely novel, meaning it has not infected humans before.But two viruses from the same family had been
identified previously & the Hendra virus and Nipah virus
Both can cause severe and sometimes fatal illnesses
There are no vaccines or treatments, The Sun reported.So far, the cases have not been fatal or very serious, so there is no need for panic,
said Professor Wang Linfa from the Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore who was involved in the
study.He added that it is still a cause for alarm as many viruses that exist in nature have unpredictable results when they infect
humans.The post New Langya virus infects 35 people in China first appeared on Ariana News.
