Scientists Identify New Langya Virus in China That Has Infected 35 People

A team of international scientists have identified a new virus called Langya, which has already been detected in 35 individuals in China.

Per the Washington Post, a peer-reviewed study published by the New England Journal of Medicine details how the Langya Henipavirus was discovered after it potentially first infected animals and made the jump to humans. While the virus is not believed to be transmitted between people, due in part to the small sample size of 35 confirmed infections, it is hypothesized to have been hosted by shrews before it infected any humans.

The first sample of the Langya virus was detected—though not specifically identified until recently—in a farmer from the Shandong province in China in 2018 after he reported fever symptoms, and a further 34 people were found to have been infected in Shandongand the Henan province nearby over the following two years. A breakdown of the virus’ genetic sequencing revealed that it is part of the neipavirus family, which consists of five known viruses. Two of them are considered deadly with high fatality ratios, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study noted, however, that none of the patients with Langya have died. 26 were only infected with the virus, which resulted in all of them showing fever symptoms. Approximately half showcased fatigue issues, a cough, or decreased white blood cell count. A small number experienced impaired kidney and liver functions, though. Research carried out across 25 small wild animals found in the region confirmed that its genetic material could mostly be traced to shrews.

The patients who have been confirmed to be infected with Langya had contact with such animals, and it’s believed that it “probably doesn’t transmit easily from human to human.” Approximately 70 percent of infectious diseases in humans stem from animals, scientists have confirmed. The two deadly viruses in the same family as Langya, the Hendra and Nipah viruses, stem from close contact with horses, pigs, and bats.