Doctors have confirmed the emergence of a new virus in China. Called “Langya,” it would be transmitted from animals to humans and exhibit similar properties to the coronavirus.
Like deja vu. In China, doctors have sounded the alarm after discovering a brand new virus. Under the name “Langya”, 35 people in two provinces in the east of the country are said to have already been infected. Tested because they were feverish, they most commonly 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 from the health authorities, this virus is completely new and therefore has never infected people before. However, it would belong to the henipavirus family, of which two species (Hendra virus and Nipah) have already been identified. And the news is not reassuring because it has been the cause of often serious or even fatal illnesses in infected people. At the moment, no vaccine or treatment has surfaced. As a reminder, henipavirus is classified as biosafety level 4 with mortality rates between 40% and 75%, according to the World Health Organization.
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The shrews in question?
According to the scientists, whose remarks were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shrews may be the most obvious carriers of Langya virus.
Zoonoses, i.e. those that spread 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, the consumption and trade of wild animals and climate change.
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