New Delhi: Even as the world could come out of the shock of Covid-19 pandemic, a new virus outbreak in China has left the global powers concerned & disturbed. Till now, the virus has already infected more than 35 people in China and if not checked in time, has the potential to spread at an alarming rate.
The novel Langya Henipavirus (LayV) was first detected in the some provinces of Shandong and Henan in 2018 and was officially detected in last week.
The virus has been mainly found in the throat swab samples from febrile patients of Eastern China. Those who have contracted virus are said to be mostly farmers and the symptoms they exhibited include fatigue, cough, loss of appetite, and aches. Some cases also showed signs of blood-cell abnormalities and signs of liver and kidney damage.
No deaths have been reported yet due to virus.
What is Langya Virus?
The reason behind the worry about this new virus is that it has also transferred from animals to humans, much like Coronavirus.
According to The Guardian, the virus was also detected in 2 per cent of domestic goats and 5 per cent of dogs.
About the virus & its severity
According to a study, the Langya virus was first spotted in humans in 2019, however it remained subdued at that time. This year, the cases are said to be rising at a fast pace, leaving the authorities alarmed over havoc that it may create.
Though there are no established case of human to human transfer, the scientists & experts are leaving no stone unturned and researching deep into the genome of virus & its transferability.
Langa holds much similarity with the Nipah virus, found in bats. Nipah’s fatality is well-known. It spreads through respiratory droplets liked Coronavirus and is also dangerous as it has the potential to kill 3 quarters of infected patients.
Currently, there are no vaccines or drugs to counter this virus.
