‘Cases of Langya henipavirus so far have not been fatal or very serious, so there is no need for panic’
A new type of animal-derived Henipavirus has so far infected people in Shandong and Henan provinces of China, official media here reported on Tuesday.
The new type of Henipavirus (also named Langya henipavirus, LayV) was found in throat swab samples from febrile patients in eastern China, state-run Global Times quoted media reports.
Scholars who participated in the study pointed out that this newly discovered Henipavirus, which may have come from animals, is associated with some febrile cases, and the infected people have symptoms including fever, fatigue, cough, anorexia, myalgia, and nausea.
There is currently no vaccine or treatment for Henipavirus and the only treatment is supportive care to manage complications.
What is Langya henipavirus?
The Langya henipavirus, which has been found in China’s Shandong and Henan provinces, can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Human-to-human transmission of the virus has not been reported however at the same time he said that CDC has yet to determine whether the virus can be transmitted among humans and cautioned people to pay close attention to further updates about the virus, Chuang said.
Providing details of the serological survey conducted on domestic animals, he said that 2 percent of the tested goats and 5 percent of the tested dogs were positive.
The cases of Langya henipavirus so far have not been fatal or very serious, so there is no need for panic, Wang Linfa, a Professor in the Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases at Duke-NUS Medical School who was involved in the study said, adding that it is still a cause for alert as many viruses that exist in nature have unpredictable results when they infect humans.
Further investigation found that 26 out of 35 cases of Langya Henipavirus infection in Shandong and Henan provinces have developed clinical symptoms such as fever, irritability, cough, anorexia, myalgia, nausea, headache and vomiting, the report said.
A new type of animal-derived Henipavirus has so far infected people in Shandong and Henan provinces of China, official media here reported on Tuesday.
The new type of Henipavirus (also named Langya henipavirus, LayV) was found in throat swab samples from febrile patients in eastern China, state-run Global Times quoted media reports.
Scholars who participated in the study pointed out that this newly discovered Henipavirus, which may have come from animals, is associated with some febrile cases, and the infected people have symptoms including fever, fatigue, cough, anorexia, myalgia, and nausea.
Is there any vaccine or treatment for Henipavirus ?
There is currently no vaccine or treatment for Henipavirus and the only treatment is supportive care to manage complications.
Is Henipavirus fatal or very dangerous?
The cases of Langya henipavirus so far have not been fatal or very serious, so there is no need for panic, Wang Linfa, a Professor in the Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases at Duke-NUS Medical School who was involved in the study said, adding that it is still a cause for alert as many viruses that exist in nature have unpredictable results when they infect humans.
From where Henipavirus came from?
Henipavirus was founded first in Shandong and Henan provinces of China.
What are the Symptoms of Henipavirus?
The people infected with Henipavirus have developed clinical symptoms such as fever, irritability, cough, anorexia, myalgia, nausea, fatigue, headache and vomiting.
How many people died due to Langya Henipavirus so far?
Till 9th August none of the patients have died or suffered serious illness, it’s a virus that hasn’t infected human beings prior to this outbreak , so there are a lot of unknowns.
What are the Effects or consequences of Langya Henipavirus?
The main consequences showed a decrease in white blood cells, low platelet count, liver failure and kidney failure.
Where was the virus first detected?
A study titled “A Zoonotic Henipavirus in Febrile Patients in China” that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday said that a new henipavirus associated with a fever-causing human illness was identified in China.
The investigation identified 35 patients with acute infection of the Langya henipavirus in China’s Shandong and Henan provinces, and that 26 of them were infected with the Langya virus only, with no other pathogens
What is WHO’s point of view on this Langya Henipavirus?
Being under the Henipavirus umbrella, it has the potential to do some serious damage … WHO data classifies Henipavirus with a 40-75% fatality rate.
The symptoms might look all too familiar : fever, headache, cough, fatigue, etc.
A report by the New England Journal of Medicine says the infected patients had a history of being in contact with animals … however, it’s now possible the virus has already been transmitted from human to human.
credit : The sun , Business standards, live mint.com and the tribune.
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