A scientific study revealed the detection of a new virus of animal origin of the type henipavirus. According to what the state media reported, this pathogen was located in two provinces of China, with a total of 35 infections presented in humans.
The cases were found in Shandong (east) and Henan (center), according to the official Global Times newspaper, which cites an article published by Chinese scientists in the New England Journal of Medicine, one of the most prestigious medical publications in the world.
The virus, for which there are currently no vaccines or treatments, was detected through samples taken from the throat of patients who had had recent contact with animals and It is associated with symptoms such as fever, tiredness, cough, loss of appetite, headaches, muscle aches, and nausea.
According to the newspaper, subsequent investigations revealed that 26 of the 35 patients carrying this henipavirus developed these clinical symptoms.
According to the state news portal The Paper, henipavirus is one of the main emerging causes of diseases from animals to humans (a process called zoonosis) in the Asia-Pacific region.
Said medium indicates that fruit bats are transmission vectors. Therefore, they are considered natural hosts of two known henipaviruses: Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV).
The World Health Organization (WHO) points out that the Hendra virus causes acute respiratory infections and encephalitis in humans. It has an estimated fatality rate of between 40 and 75% that “may vary depending on local epidemiological investigation and clinical management capabilities.”
At the moment, according to the Global Times, there has been no evidence of human-to-human transmission. Meanwhile, previous reports indicate that this type of contagion is not ruled out either.
“Coronavirus will not be the last contagious disease to cause a pandemic, as new diseases will have an increasing impact on the daily life of the human race,” said the deputy director of the Infectious Pathology department of Huashan hospital.