New brain-affecting virus discovered in China sparks global concern

A newly identified virus, named Wetland Virus (WELV), has emerged in China, raising concerns as it has been found to spread to humans through tick bites, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

According to media reports, the virus can lead to neurological diseases in some cases.

The first documented case of WELV dates back to June 2019, when a 61-year-old patient in Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province, fell ill after being bitten by ticks in the wetlands of Inner Mongolia.

The patient, who developed symptoms just five days after the tick bite, experienced a range of illnesses including fever, headache, and vomiting.

These symptoms persisted despite antibiotic treatments, according to a report published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The case provided the first evidence that WELV, a previously unidentified virus, could be transmitted to humans.

The tick-borne virus belongs to a group of viruses which is famous for getting transmitted by ticks. These viruses can cause severe illness in humans, like the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus.

After the virus' initial discovery, a thorough investigation was conducted by the researchers and nearly 14,600 ticks were collected from different locations in northern China and it was discovered that 2 per cent of them tested positive for WELV genetic material.

The doctors also detected the virus in sheep, horses, pigs, and rodents, known as Transbaikal zokor.

The virus was known to cause cytopathic effects in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and also led to deadly infections in animal models.

The researchers further analysed blood samples collected from forest rangers in the region and found antibodies to WELV in around 12 out of 640 individuals.

After testing more patients with tick bites, 20 people were found positive for the virus and had symptoms like fever, dizziness, headache, nausea and diarrhoea.

As per the reports, one patient also went into a coma because of high white blood cell counts in the brain and spinal fluid.

Even though all patients recovered after treatment, in the lab experiments carried out on mice it was observed that the virus can lead to lethal infections and also affect the nervous system, especially the brain.

"Taken together, these data suggest that a newly discovered orthonairovirus, WELV, is [pathogenic] to humans … and circulates among humans, ticks and various animals in northeastern China," stated the researchers.

"Improving surveillance and detection for emerging orthonairoviruses will allow a better understanding of the effect that these viruses have on human health," they added.