The Langya henipavirus belongs to the same family of viruses, including Nipah, which is known to kill up to three quarters of humans in severe cases.
Even as Covid-19 has not completely been wiped out and the new monkeypox outbreak has raised concerns, a new type of animal-derived virus has been reported in China. The Henipavirus – also known as ‘Langya’ henipavirus (LayV) – has so far infected 35 people in eastern China’s Henan and Shandong provinces, the country’s official media reported on Tuesday.
The Langya virus was found in the throat samples from febrile patients in the aforementioned provinces.
The virus hails from a family of viruses known to kill up to three quarters of human beings in case of severe infection. However, none of the fresh cases have so far resulted in fatality and most are mild, with patients suffering from flu-like symptoms.
At present, no vaccine or treatment for Langya virus is available, and the only solution is supportive care to manage complications pertaining to the zoonotic disease.
What is known about the virus?
A study published earlier revealed that the Langya virus was first spotted in human beings in 2019, with majority of the recent cases reported this year. Chinese experts are still trying to figure out if the virus can spread from one person to another, according to a report by Mail Online.
