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China confirms outbreak of new Langya virus, 35 people infected. Is this the next pandemic?

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Amrutha Pagad
Amrutha PagadAug 10, 2022 | 09:35

China confirms outbreak of new Langya virus, 35 people infected. Is this the next pandemic?

New zoonotic virus detected in China. Representative Image.

China has found a new "animal-derived" or zoonotic virus infecting humans in two of its provinces. The virus is called Langya Henipavirus (LayV).

Is there a manual on how to survive this crazy microscopic world filled with viruses? Humanity strongly needs one right now. Just as the world was learning to live with Covid-19, cringing at the nymph nodes occurring due to monkeypox, nature is introducing us to a new virus. Perhaps, the 2001 Jake Gyllenhaal movie Bubble Boy is the best way to survive this world. Every human on this planet now needs to live in a literal bubble forever to ensure survival.

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Before we start introspecting on humanity, let's understand the new virus found in China. 

Where was it found? Scientists detected Langya Henipavirus in 35 people living in the Shandong and Henan provinces of China. The result was published in The New England Journal of Medicine, and the title read, "Zoonotic Henipavirus in Febrile Patients in China."

How was the virus detected? The virus was found in the throat swab samples of patients who came complaining of fever in eastern China.  

When were the cases detected? The cases were detected from July 2020 onward, though the majority of them were reported this year. The virus was also detected in humans way back in 2019. 

Is it fatal? The good news so far is that there have been no fatalities reported among humans due to the virus infection. However, henipavirus is known to cause severe disease in animals and humans, with the fatality rate ranging from 40-75%, going by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimation. This makes henipavirus more fatal than coronavirus. The virus is also classified as a biosafety level 4 virus.

Reports say the current cases have been mild with patients suffering from flu-like symptoms.

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Is there a cure? There is no known treatment or vaccine for the virus infection. However, with supportive care complications can be managed.  

How does the virus spread? So far, the virus is known to only jump from infected animals to humans. No evidence of human-to-human transmission has been found yet. 

Scientists say the virus could have been transmitted from shrews, small insectivorous mammals that look like a mouse. However, the virus was also found in dogs and goats in small numbers. 

What are the symptoms of LayV infection? Common symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, irritability, cough, anorexia, myalgia (muscle pain), and nausea. 

Other serious abnormalities include a deficiency in blood platelet count, loss in white cells, impaired liver and reduced kidney function.

What do we know about the virus? Langya Henipavirus belongs to the same family of viruses as the deadly Nipah virus. 

How should we process the news? Global Times, which reported the detection of the virus, quoted Wang Xinyu, Deputy Chief Physician at the department of Infectious Diseases of Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, saying that coronavirus won't be the last infectious disease to cause a pandemic. 

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Coronavirus will not be the last infectious disease to cause a pandemic worldwide, as new infectious diseases will have an increasingly greater impact on human daily life.
- Wang Xinyu

Langya Henipavirus belongs to the Nipah virus family and the WHO has listed the Nipah virus as the most likely virus to cause the next pandemic. 

Should we get our bubble out already? 

Last updated: August 10, 2022 | 09:39
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