Langya virus: How worrying is the new animal-to-human LayV virus spreading in China?

While the threat of COVID-19 still lingers two years on from the start of the pandemic and the outbreak of monkeypox is far from being contained, a new virus is looming over the horizon.

Researchers are monitoring the spread of the novel Langya henipavirus (LayV) in China, where dozens of cases have already been reported.

The virus was first detected in 2018 in the northeastern provinces of Shandong and Henan but was only officially identified last week after China experienced a sudden surge in cases, now up to a total of 35.

According to a study by ​​the Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology published last week, the Langya virus cases were identified after several patients experiencing a fever and reporting a history of animal exposure in eastern China were examined by health officials as part of a health surveillance project.

After identifying the Langya virus in one of the patient’s throat swabs, the researchers found the presence of the virus in 35 people - mostly farmers - in the Shandong and Henan provinces.

The Langya virus belongs to the same family as the deadly Nipah and Hendra viruses, the henipavirus family.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this family of viruses is highly dangerous, with Nipah being estimated to have a fatality rate between 40 to 75 per cent - much higher than the death rate reported for COVID-19.

It’s unclear how dangerous the Langya virus could be to humanity, as all the patients who contracted the virus in China so far experienced mild flu-like symptoms, and there were no related fatalities reported.

The henipavirus viruses are naturally harboured by pteropid fruit bats (flying foxes) and microbats of several species, according to a Chinese study from 2008, but other