Why it’s worth keeping ‘close eye’ on new Langya virus that’s infecting dozens in China

In China’s Shandong and Henan provinces, Chinese scientists have announced 35 infected cases of the new Langya henipavirus. With symptoms found in both humans and animals, this pathogen causes fever, cough, and fatigue – possibly related to the early days of COVID-19. However, there are no reports of human-to-human transmission as of now. Unfortunately, the virus appears to have multiple animal hosts, causing extreme unpredictability; there are also more expected animal-to-human spillovers. To add salt to the wound, climate change, globalization, widespread development, and encroachment on animal habitats are problems that need solutions to prevent viruses from reaching humans in the first place.

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