As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic of concern monkeypox, an animal-to-human A new zoonotic virus has emerged. attracted the attention of scientists.
In China, between December 2018 and August 2021, 35 people were infected with theLangya virus. The virus is believed to have spread from shrews (small mammals like moles). researcher.
Findings published last week in the New England Journal of Medical did not suggest human-to-human transmission, but the sample size was so small that the virus could We were unable to determine if it could spread from: Close contact between people, the study's authors said.
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"Contact tracing of 9 patients with family members of 15 close contacts did not reveal LayV infection among close contacts," they wrote.
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Samples he collected from April 2018 to August 2021. Cases were detected in eastern Shandong and Henan provinces.
Of the 35 patients, 26 had only her Langya and all had fever. Other symptoms include fatigue, coughing, nausea, headache, and vomiting. In more severe cases, liver and kidney function were impaired.
McGill Dr. Donald Vin, an infectious disease specialist and medical microbiologist at the University Health Center, said scientists need to monitor Langya closely. Because we don't have enough information about how it spreads and how it behaves.
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"The medical and scientific community has been vigilant and vigilant about the development of tests and how widespread the infection is. We need to make sure there is this virus distributed," he said.
"But that doesn't mean the general public should worry." belongs to the same family as Nipah virus. Human death, said Vinh.
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from Human transmission of Nipah virus has been reported.
Nipah virus can be spread through close contact with bodily fluids and excreta of an infected person, and through contact with infected animals such as bats and pigs, according to Public Health Canada. 71} states: The virus is also transmitted by eating contaminated foods such as raw dates, fresh fruit, and palm hemp juice.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), theNipah virus affects the brain and respiratory system, killing 40-75% of infected people.
"This is a little worrying for Langya if cousins behave the same way," said Vinh.
To date, no cases of Nipah virus or Langya virus have been reported in Canada.
No specific vaccines or treatments have been developed for either virus. .
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