Chinese scientists have discovered a new virus that was previously unknown and can probably be transmitted to humans through tick bites.
Modern.az reports that "Daily Mail" published information about this.
The virus, called "Asian longhorned tick nairovirus" (ALTNV), has been detected in four provinces of China, including Hubei province, where Wuhan city is located.
Researchers focused on patients who developed fever of unknown origin after a tick bite. Some symptoms were found to resemble Dabie-Bandavirus (DBV), which is spread by ticks and causes fever accompanied by severe thrombocytopenia.
As part of the study, samples from 3163 people from Henan, Hubei, Anhui and Shandong provinces were analyzed. ALTNV was detected in 329 people, i.e. approximately 10.4 percent of those examined. According to scientists, the first known case of virus infection dates back to 2009.
Only patients infected with ALTNV experienced severe malaise and gastrointestinal problems after fever. Severe fatigue was recorded in 84 percent of patients, and digestive system problems in approximately 80 percent. Thrombocytopenia, a decrease in the number of platelets that can increase the risk of bleeding, was detected in 38 percent of patients.
Researchers were particularly concerned about cases of co-infection with ALTNV and DBV. Dual infection was detected in 38 people, 7 of whom died. This indicates a mortality rate of 18.4 percent in that group. Patients infected with two viruses were more likely to experience severe complications, including respiratory and kidney dysfunction.
To determine the possible source of the virus, scientists also examined approximately 47,000 ticks collected from 15 provinces of China. ALTNV was detected in approximately 1.3 percent of the ticks studied. In Asian longhorned ticks, the virus was detected in 1.75 percent of cases.
During laboratory experiments, it was found that the Asian longhorned tick can transmit the virus to mice. This result allows us to assume that the virus can be transmitted to humans by a similar mechanism. However, the exact mechanism of infection has not yet been fully confirmed.
It is currently unknown whether ALTNV has spread outside of China. One of the reasons for the increased attention to the virus is the spread of the presumed carrier. The Asian longhorned tick was first detected in the US in 2017 and has since been recorded in several states across the country. However, the presence of these ticks in the US does not mean that the new virus has already spread in the country.
There is currently no specific treatment for ALTNV. There is also no targeted therapy for DBV. When the infection is severe, doctors use supportive therapy, including intravenous treatment and blood transfusions.
Scientists need to determine how widespread the new virus is, whether infection rates are increasing, and which tick species can transmit the virus to humans. This information is important for assessing the potential danger of ALTNV.
