Langya henipavirus: Is it a potential cause for public health concern?

A new virus, named Langya henipavirus (LayV), has recently been identified in Shandong and Henan provinces in China and has so far infected 35 individuals between April 2018 and August 2021. It is closely related to other known henipaviruses (Nipah and Hendra viruses) that can cause up to 70% human case fatality. Even though LayV has not been shown to be fatal in humans and does not appear to be transmitted from human-to-human, it is an RNA virus with the capacity to evolve genetically in the infected hosts (e.g. shrews) and can infect humans (e.g. farmers who have been in close contacts with shrews). It is therefore important to be vigilant about this new viral outbreak.

Automated summary

A new virus called Langya henipavirus (LayV) has been found in Shandong and Henan provinces, China, infecting 35 people from April 2018 to August 2021. It is closely related to other known henipaviruses (Nipah and Hendra viruses) that can result in up to 70% human fatality. Although LayV has not been proven fatal in humans or transmitted human-to-human, it is an RNA virus that can genetically evolve in infected hosts (e.g. shrews) and infect humans (e.g. farmers in close contact with shrews), making it important to remain vigilant about this new viral outbreak.