Zoonotic Langya Virus: Here's all about new contagion that has infected 35 people in China

The zoonotic Langya virus, also known as LayV is a new infection strain found in at least 35 people in two provinces in China. According to Taiwan Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the contagion was recorded in the Henan and Shandong regions of the mainland.

Investigation into the primary infections indicated that the cases were scattered and had no sign of community transmission, and the infections were sporadic.

Zoonotic Langya Virus symptoms

Out of the 35 people, 26 were infected with no other pathogens except the Langya virus. The 26 infected subjects displayed symptoms such as headache, body ache, fever, cough and cold, and reduced white blood cells. The experts noted that the virus could lead to a drop in platelet count, further damaging kidneys and liver, and eventually death.

Experts urge people to 'pay close attention' to updates on LayV

Meanwhile, in the wake of the LayV outbreak, Taipei CDC, on Monday, decided to establish a nucleic acid testing procedure to identify and monitor the spread of the virus, as per Taipei News. Further, the Taiwanese health experts have also urged people to take precautions to avoid community spread, even though no reports of human-to-human spread emerged yet. The CDC is also yet to determine if the said virus can transmit from human to human. Speaking to Taipei News, Taiwan CDC Deputy Director General Chuang Jen-Hsiang said that the residents must "pay close attention" to more updates about the virus.

Domestic animals test positive for Zoonotic Langya virus

According to a serological survey conducted by Taiwan CDC, a host of domestic and wild animals tested positive for the LayV virus. The new strain of henipavirus was found in at least 25 wild animal species and 2% of tested goats and 5% of tested dogs.

What is Zoonotic Langya Virus?

The Zoonotic Langya virus or LayV is a new animal-derived henipavirus that is mostly transferred from animal to animal. However, after 35 human infections were reported in China, health experts are now concerned about its human-associated transmission. Meanwhile, the test results of 25 wild animal species suggested that a small insectivorous mammal resembling a mouse, called a shrew, might be the natural host of the Langya henipavirus. The virus was reportedly spotted in about 27% of the tested shrew subjects, the CDC official said.

This comes as China is struggling to stop sporadic coronavirus outbreaks, beginning with Hebei earlier this year. Adhering to the zero-COVID Policy, Beijing announced a series of strict lockdowns, pushing 11 million people in the province to remain at home. Eventually, Shanghai reported a fresh flare-up in cases, forcing Beijing to impose stringent measures on residents. On Monday, Xi Jinping-led Chinese government issued curbs on the coastal city of Sanya following a COVID outbreak, trapping at least 80,000 tourists.

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