28 Oct 2024        13:19:49 pm

Biology

Wetland Virus

Tags : Wetland Virus

Topic: Viruses

Why in the news?

• A new virus, dubbed wetland virus (WELV), has been discovered in China that can spread to humans through tick bites, causing neurological disease in some cases.

Source: The Indian Express

About Wetland Virus: 

• It was first identified in a 61-year-old patient in China in 2019, who fell ill five days after being bitten by ticks in Inner Mongolia\'s wetlands. 
• It belongs to a group of viruses known for being transmitted by ticks.
• It is similar to the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, which can cause severe illness in humans. 
• Its RNA was also found in sheep, horses, pigs and rodents called Transbaikal zokor. 
• It showed cytopathic effects in human umbilical-vein endothelial cells and caused lethal infections in animal models.
• Its symptoms include fever, dizziness, headache, vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea.
• It can also result in high white blood cell counts in the brain and spinal fluid.
• It can cause lethal infections and potentially affect the nervous system. 

Ticks:

• These are external parasites.
• They live by feeding on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians.

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