Beijing – A newly discovered virus in China, known as the wetland virus (WELV), has raised concerns due to its potential to cause neurological diseases in humans. The virus, which is transmitted through tick bites, was first identified in a 61-year-old patient from Jinzhou city in 2019, according to a report published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
The patient experienced symptoms such as fever, headache, and vomiting, which did not respond to antibiotics. WELV belongs to a family of viruses known to be transmitted by ticks, similar to the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, which can lead to severe illness.
After the initial discovery, researchers conducted a comprehensive study across northern China, collecting 14,600 ticks. Around 2% of these ticks, primarily from the Haemaphysalis concinna species, tested positive for WELV. The virus was also found in animals like sheep, horses, pigs, and rodents, indicating its wide transmission.
Further investigations revealed that 12 out of 640 forest rangers had antibodies to WELV, while 20 patients with tick bites tested positive. Symptoms varied from fever and dizziness to more severe cases involving neurological complications. One patient even fell into a coma due to high white blood cell counts in the brain and spinal fluid.
Although all infected patients eventually recovered, laboratory studies on mice showed that the virus can cause lethal infections and affect the nervous system, indicating that WELV poses a serious health risk, particularly to the brain.
This discovery has prompted further research into the virus’s potential impact on human health, as well as increased surveillance of tick-borne diseases in the region.
