New fever-causing genipavirus identified in China

In China, 35 people have been diagnosed with a new genipavirus that is believed to be transmitted from shrews to humans. Infection is accompanied by severe fever and a number of other symptoms. Among them:

• increased fatigue (54%);
• cough (50%);
• anorexia (50%);
• muscle pain (46%);
• nausea (38%);
• headache (35%);
• vomiting (35%);
• dysfunction of the liver (35%) and kidneys (8%).

Research on a new virus publishedA Zoonotic Henipavirus in Febrile Patients in China scientists from Beijing and Singapore in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Doctors note that there have been no deaths so far, as well as cases of transmission of the virus from sick people to their family members. But it is still too early to draw conclusions regarding contagiousness.

The virus was named Langya henipavirus (LayV). It belongs to the same genus of henipaviruses as the potentially lethal Nipah and Hendrathat are transmitted from animals to humans.

Antibodies to the new virus were found only in a small percentage of goats and dogs, as well as in 76% of the examined shrews - they may be the natural reservoir of Lanya, the scientists noted.