Langya henipavirus (LayV) it's a new one species of viruses belonging to the genus Henipavirus and the family Paramyxoviridae. The species was published in 2022, and the pathogen was described based on the study of infections recorded in China between 2018 and 2021. During that period, the virus infected 35 people.
The virus was probably transmitted from an animal to a human species, with no signs of transmission from one person to another so far. New studies must be carried out to better understand how the virus acts in the body and whether it is a threat.
See too: Adenovirus — a group of viruses capable of affecting different animals
Summary about Langya henipavirus
Langya henipavirus (LayV) is a virus belonging to the genus Henipavirus and the family Paramyxoviridae.
The virus is believed to have spread from other animals to humans.
The shrew may be the natural reservoir of the virus.
It is not known whether the virus can be transmitted from one person to another.
In humans, the virus caused symptoms such as fever, fatigue and cough.
To date, no deaths due to the virus infection have been reported.
What is Langya henipavirus?
Langya henipavirus (LayV) is a virus belonging the family Paramyxoviridaeand to genre Henipavirus. This genus is already known and stands out for including representatives that can cause outbreaks and infections serious.
Langya henipavirus was described in 2022 in a work published in New England Journal of Medicine. Dstop for being a virus capable of infecting humans, having affected at least 35 people in the China between the years 2018 and 2021.
The virus received the name Langya henipavirus in reference à Langya city in Shandong, the city of the first patient identified with the virus. Most of the cases described are of farmers, who claim that they were exposed to an animal before symptoms appeared.
Transmission of Langya henipavirus
The transmission of Langya henipavirus probably occurs from animals to humans, the shrew being considered the natural reservoir of the virus so far. It is not yet clear how exactly people were infected through contact with animals, it is not known, for example, if transmission occurred directly after contact with a shrew or if there is another intermediate animal involved.
Transmission from one person to another is believed not to occur easily. According to the publication of New England Journal of Medicine, the patients had no contact with each other, and contact tracing between nine patients and their relatives failed to prove person-to-person transmission.
It is important to point out, however, that, as it is a new virus, more studies are needed. In addition, due to the fact that Langya henipavirus is part of a group of concern, which contains the Hendra viruses henipavirus (HeV) and Nipah henipavirus (NiV), associated with high mortality rates, is a virus that deserves Warning.
Read too: Marburg virus — a virus from the same family dthe Ebola
Symptoms of Langya henipavirus infection
Langya henipavirus (LayV) stands out for causing respiratory infections, the main symptoms being fever, cough and fatigue. Other symptoms observed were headache, vomiting and changes in the functioning of the liver and From kidneys. So far, there are no cases of death caused by the virus.
By Vanessa Sardinha dos Santos
Biology teacher
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/biologia/langya-henipavirus.htm