By Wanique Block
We just can’t seem to catch a break!
China has discovered and tracked a new, potentially fatal virus called the Langya Henipavirus (LayV).
According to Taiwan’s Center for Disease Control, the virus has already infected 35 people.
The LayV virus is not necessarily new, as it was first detected in the north-eastern provinces of Shandong and Henan in late 2018 but was only formally identified and tracked by scientists last week.
The virus is said to be likely transmitted from animals to humans, falling under the zoonotic virus category, with no evidence indicating person-to-person transmission.
This discovery was highlighted in a letter written by researchers from China, Singapore, and Australia and published in the New England Journal of Medicine this month.
Symptoms include:
- fatigue
- cough
- loss of appetite
- fever
- muscle aches.
Although no deaths have been recorded to date, experts say that this virus could potentially lead to another pandemic, especially because not much is known about the LayV virus.
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