Zoonotic Langya Virus: Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention

While the world is currently going through a very tough phase of  Corona Virus and Monkeypox pandemics,  there is a new virus called Langya Virus detected in China.

Chinese health officials have tested the throat samples of affected patients and confirmed the presence of the Langya virus in their bodies.

What is Langya Virus?

Langya henipavirus (LayV), also known as Langya virus is an example of a Zoonotic Henipavirus. Langya virus (LayV) is in the Henipavirus family. Experts believe that it belongs to the virus family that can cause severe infection leading to death as there is not much known about the Langya virus.

Two species have been identified before in the Henipavirus family

• Hendra virus
• Nipah virus

Hendra was first detected in Brisbane and Nipah was first detected in Kerala, India. Also, both have severe infections and are sometimes fatal.

Nipah and Hendra both viruses also belonged to the same genus, henipavirus, from the Paramyxoviridae family like Langya Virus. Paramyxoviridae is a family of single-stranded Ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses that cause different types of viral infections. 

Langya Virus Symptoms

Mostly Fever is the common symptom found in an infected patient. Here is full list

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Cough 
• Loss of appetite 
• Muscle aches 
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Feeling queasy 

Symptoms of Langya Virus

Scientists have looked at the 26 patients with only LayV infection to identify the associated symptoms. Which Found this result as below symptoms in patients who are examined in the study.

The WHO classified Henipavirus as a biosafety Level 4 threat. Data suggested that Case fatality rates range between 40 and 75 percent in previous cases of above earlier identified cases [1].

Langya Virus Origin Animal 

CDC has discovered a potentially Langya virus is believed to have been passed to humans by shrews, a small insectivorous mammal resembling a mouse.

Langya Virus Origin Country

Langya Virus's new variant is first detected in China. Further investigation of research found that the first 26 out of 35 cases of Langya virus infection came from Shandong and Henan provinces.

The research found out that patient which has Langya Virus have developed clinical symptoms such as fever, irritability, cough, anorexia, myalgia, nausea, headache, and vomiting in the early stage. 

What is Zoonotic Virus?

A zoonotic virus of diseases is defined as an infectious disease that is transmitted between two or more species; either from animals to humans or from humans to animals.

Examples of zoonotic viruses include,

• Corona Virus (COVID-19)
• Monkeypox Virus
• Hendra virus (HEV) etc.

What is Henipavirus?

Henipaviruses are classified as biosafety level 4 (BSL4) pathogens. They can cause severe illness in animals and humans, and as of now, for prevention, there are no licensed drugs or vaccines meant for humans [2].

Langya Virrus is new type of Henipavirus is also being called Langya Henipavirus or the LayV. 

Langya Virus Transmission

Langya Virus might have emerged from shrews, small mole-like mammals with cylindrical bodies, short and slender limbs, and clawed digits. 

The transmission also occurs from exposure to food products that have been contaminated by infected animals, including consumption of raw date palm sap or fruit that has been contaminated with saliva or urine.

At present, it is not known whether the Langya cases in humans are "sporadic" or not. That means currently we can't say if the Langya virus is capable of human-to-human transmission or not. 

Langya Virus is Dealdly or not ?

Currently, as of now the cases of the Langya virus have not been fatal or very serious. But Scientists have not ruled about future complexity after a virus is transmitted into the human body and came up with any variant that has to be tracked in a very early stage.

Langya Virus Fatality Rate

Current Langya has not taken any life but if it was not controlled it can spread at a high speed across the world. 

Also Being under the same category of Henipavirus umbrella, it has the potential to do some serious damage. Data classifies the previous Henipavirus family with a fatality rate of around 40 to 70 percent. 

Langya Virus Vaccine

Currently, no vaccine or treatment is available for the Langya virus.

Langya Virus Treatment

• Currently, there are no licensed treatments available for Langya Virus infection. 
• Currently, treatment is just limited to supportive care, including rest, and hydration.
• Doctors can do treatment of symptoms as they occur in any patient’s body.
• There is no specific antiviral treatment available for these henipavirus infections other than patient care medication.
• Only therapy consists of the clinical management or complications can be used.

Langya Virus Prevention

• Avoid contact with sick animals, shrews, mouse, pigs, bats, or their excretions. 
• Avoid consumption of raw date palm sap or products made from raw sap. 
• Avoid non-vegetarian food which includes the meat from sick animals.
• Practice handwashing regularly with soap and water.
• Avoid contact with sick bats or pigs.
• Avoid contact with the blood or body fluids of any person known to be infected with Langya Virus.

Langya Virus belongs to the Nipah virus family and WHO has listed the Nipah virus as the most likely virus to cause the next pandemic in the world.

The cases of Langya virus so far have not been fatal or very serious, so there is no need for panic suggested Wang Linfa [3], a Professor in the Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases at Duke-NUS Medical School.

 

Dr. Wang Linfa who was involved in the study said Langya Virus may not have been deadly now but we should stay alert as many viruses that exist in nature have unpredictable results when they infect humans.