Doctors have confirmed the appearance of a new virus in China. Named “Langya”, it would be transmitted from animals to humans and would present characteristics similar to the coronavirus.
Like an air of deja vu. In China, doctors have sounded the alarm after detecting a brand new virus. Called “Langya”, it is said to have already infected 35 people in two provinces in the east of the country. Tested because they were febrile, they most often presented with fever, fatigue, cough, loss of appetite, muscle aches, nausea, headache and vomiting. They also had a history of contact with animals.
According to the latest information reported by health authorities, this virus is entirely new and has therefore never infected humans before. However, it would belong to the Henipavirus family, of which two species (Hendra virus and Nipah) have been previously identified. And the news is not reassuring because they have been the cause of often serious or even fatal illnesses in infected people. For the moment, no vaccine or treatment has emerged. As a reminder, the henipavirus is classified at biosafety level 4 with fatality rates between 40 and 75%, according to data from the World Health Organization.
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The shrews in question?
According to the scientists, whose remarks were relayed in the New England Journal of Medicineshrews may be the most obvious carrier of Langya virus.
Zoonotic diseases, those that pass from animals to humans, are increasingly becoming a global health problem. Several factors cause the emergence of many of these viruses, including Covid, Zika and Ebola. These include the destruction of natural habitats, wildlife consumption and trade, and climate change.
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