Another killer virus, henipavirus found in China

…35 infected people having serious liver, kidney problem

ANOTHER deadly virus has been found in China.

  Named henipavirus, the new killer in town detected by team of scientists from Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology.

  Though no death has so far been reported, the team said 35 people have fallen seriously ill within one week after contracting the virus in Shangdong and Henan provinces in mainland China.

  The report was published in The New England Journal of Medicine, yesterday.

  Explaining that henipavirus is transmitted from animals to humans, the researchers also said infections with the pathogen named Langya henipavirus (LayV) occurred mainly among farmers who had previously been in close contact with animals.

  According to them, among 35 infected persons, 26 have shown fever, fatigue, cough and muscle pain symptoms while some of the patients are critically ill with liver and kidney damage.

  While in tests in animals, the virus was mainly found in shrews, the researchers also explains the finding as their basis for ascribing animal origin to the virus, especially given it sudden or sporadic detection in humans.