According to the ECDC there is no indication of human-to-human transmission, however this possibility cannot be ruled out.
The risk of infection of citizens in Europe from the Langya virus, detected in China, is small, according to a statement from the ECDC, adding that, as part of its activities, it monitors the emergence of infections, including viruses of the genus Henipavirus.
According to a team of Chinese scientists, the detection of a previously unknown, phylogenetically distinct henipavirus, named Langya henipavirus (LayV), has been reported in China. Based on the limited information currently available, the risk to EU citizens visiting or residing in China’s Shandong and Henan provinces, where the virus was reported, is considered very low. Likewise, the risk of infection for EU citizens in Europe is considered very low, it said.
It added that the virus was identified through surveillance of febrile individuals with a history of recent exposure to animals in eastern China. Between April 2018 and August 2021, 35 patients with acute LayV infection were identified in Shandong and Henan provinces of China. Symptoms reported were fever, fatigue, cough, anorexia, myalgia, nausea, headache and vomiting.
The majority of cases for which information is available regarding their occupation were farmers (85%), the ECDC statement said.
According to the ECDC there is no indication of human-to-human transmission, however this possibility cannot be ruled out. Further research will be required to understand how the virus is transmitted.
It is emphasized that no deaths among the cases were reported by the researchers, which could indicate a relatively low severity of the disease. The reported symptoms are not specific, so the ECDC cannot rule out the occurrence of human cases before 2018 and a wider geographical distribution of the virus.
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