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China has confirmed 35 human infections due to the novel Langya Virus or Langya Henipavirus (LayV). According to Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Taipei is in the process of developing a nucleic acid testing method to monitor the virus' spread and confirm its intensity.
According to Chinese media, the people who have been infected belong to eastern China's Henan and Shandong provinces. As per the Taipei Times, the Langya virus is likely to spread from animals to humans and cause failures in the renal area and the liver.
Exploring the symptoms of Langya virus
The Langya virus was first detected in 2018 but was formally identified as a disease last week. The virus has mostly affected farmers and the main symptoms only include slight fever.
Human-to-human transmission has not yet been detected in this virus. However, further studies are being conducted to clarify if the current strain of the virus is capable of human-to-human transmission.
The Hendra virus and Nipah virus are from the same family as the Langya virus. As per a report from The Sun, no vaccines or successful treatments have been discovered yet.
Taiwan's CDC Deputy Director General, Chuang Jen-hsiang, said that a serological survey was conducted on domestic animals, which noted that 2% of the tested goats and 5% of the tested dogs turned out to be positive.
It has also been noted that the insectivorous mammal, shrew, could be a natural reservoir for the Langya virus.
While not much has been noted of the symptoms, patients who have been infected by the virus in China have developed regular symptoms like excess fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, a persistent cough, nausea and vomiting, muscle pain, and headache.
LiveMint reported that the symptoms further showed a downfall in the White Blood Cells count, including low platelet count, kidney failure, and liver failure.
According to Zee News, doctors have noted that the symptoms of the virus are not life-threatening. Since no vaccine is available at the moment, patients need to be kept under care and observation. The physicians have also mentioned that there need not be any panic regarding the virus since it seems non-invasive as of now.
How is Langya virus tested?
Not much has been reported about testing the virus. CDC Deputy DG, Chuang Jen-hsiang further added that Taiwan's testing laboratories require standardized nucleic acid testing methods to understand more about the virus, including the possibility of human-to-human transmissions. The tests would also be able to monitor further human infections due to the virus.
Chuang also mentioned that the labs will soon be equipped to conduct standardized methods for genome sequencing.
While the virus is not being considered a super-spreader yet, it belongs to a family of viruses that kill no less than three-quarters of humans in excessive cases. However, as of now, none of the cases of the current zoonotic disease have gone to the extreme.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also asked people to pay close attention to further updates on the virus.
