Langya henipavirus is the latest infection to hit China; know its symptoms, other details
By Gargi Chaudhry | First Published Aug 10, 2022, 9:34 AM ISTLangya virus patients developed symptoms like fever, fatigue, a cough, loss of appetite, muscle pain, nausea, headache and vomiting. Shandong and Henan, two Chinese provinces, have reported infections. According to CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang, the agency will soon establish a standardised process for domestic laboratories to perform genome sequencing and bolster surveillance.
China has reported 35 cases of a novel Langya henipavirus that likely spread from animals to humans and can cause renal and liver failure, Taiwan’s Taipei Times has said. According to the report, which cited Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 35 people in the provinces of Shandong and Henan had acute Langya henipavirus infection. Only the Langya virus was confirmed to be present in the bodies of 26 of them; no other infections existed.
Langya virus is a newly detected virus and therefore, Taiwan's laboratories will require a standardized nucleic acid testing method to identify the virus, so that human infections could be monitored, if needed, Taiwan's CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang said.
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What is Langya virus?
The Langya henipavirus, which has been identified in the Chinese regions of Shandong and Henan, can spread from animals to people. The virus hasn't been reported to spread from person to person, but at the same time, Chuang noted that the CDC hasn't determined if it can. He advised people to pay close attention to future updates regarding the virus.
Know its symptoms
Some of the virus-infected individuals had symptoms including fever, exhaustion, a cough, appetite loss, muscular discomfort, nausea, headaches, and vomiting. Additionally, they revealed a reduction in white blood cells. liver and renal dysfunction, low platelet count.
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What's the next step?
Due to the recent discovery of the Langya virus, Chuang remarked that Taiwan's laboratories would require a standardised nucleic acid testing procedure to detect the virus. This will make it possible to monitor human infections if necessary. Infections have been detected in the Chinese provinces of Shandong and Henan. The CDC will soon create a standardised procedure for domestic laboratories to do genome sequencing and strengthen monitoring, according to Chuang Jen-hsiang, deputy director-general at the agency.
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