• LayV was discovered in 35 patients in the provinces of Shandong and Henan.
• Virus was found primarily in shrews, according to the researchers.
• LayV is a henipavirus, a type of zoonotic virus that can spread from animals to humans.

Scientists are looking for a new animal-derived virus ‘LayV’ that has infected at least a dozen people in eastern China.

The novel Langya henipavirus (LayV) was discovered in 35 patients in the provinces of Shandong and Henan. Many people had fever, fatigue, and a cough.

They are believed to have caught the virus from animals. So far, there is no evidence that LayV can spread among humans.

The virus was found primarily in shrews, according to the researchers.

The discovery was highlighted in a letter published this month in the New England Journal of Medicine by researchers from China, Singapore, and Australia.

Wang Linfa of the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, one of the researchers, told China’s state-run Global Times that the cases of LayV found so far have not been fatal or very serious, so there is “no need to panic.”

However, Mr Wang cautioned that there is still a need to be cautious because many viruses found in nature have unpredictable outcomes when they infect humans.

According to the researchers, LayV was found in 27% of the shrews tested, implying that the mole-like mammals may be “natural reservoirs” for the virus. It was found in about 5% of dogs and 2% of goats.

Taiwan’s Center for Disease Control said on Sunday it was paying “close attention” to the development of LayV.

LayV is a henipavirus, a type of zoonotic virus that can spread from animals to humans.

Zoonotic viruses are extremely common, but they have received increased attention since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, scientists believe that three out of every four new or emerging infectious diseases in humans are caused by animals.

The United Nations has previously warned that increased wildlife exploitation and climate change will lead to an increase in such diseases.

Some zoonotic viruses have the potential to kill humans. The Nipah virus, which causes periodic outbreaks in animals and humans in Asia, and the Hendra virus, which was discovered in horses in Australia, are two examples.

Other henipaviruses have been discovered in shrews, as well as bats and rodents.

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