Doctors Identify Deadly New Virus That Buries Itself in Human Brain

For the first time, a new tick-borne virus called wetland virus W-ELV has been found in humans. This virus can cause serious brain issues. It was found in a 61-year-old man from China who was bitten by ticks while visiting a park in Mongolia. The man, treated in Jinzhou in 2019, had symptoms like fever, headache, vomiting, and swollen lymph nodes. Antibiotics didn't work, so doctors determined it was a viral infection. Blood tests later revealed W-ELV, a new virus. This virus was first found in this patient, but the report was only released this month. Researchers have since identified it in nearly two dozen people. WELV is spread by ticks and farm animals, similar to Lyme disease and malaria. Symptoms include dizziness, headaches, back pain, nausea, and diarrhea. In severe cases, it can cause tissue damage and blood clotting problems. Luckily, all patients recovered within 4 to 15 days after treatment. Lab tests on mice showed WELV can cause severe infections affecting multiple organs, including the brain and nervous system. In the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers said, Taken together, these data suggest that a newly discovered orthonarovirus, WELV, is pathogenic to humans and circulates among humans, ticks, and various animals in northeastern China. They added, improving surveillance and detection for emerging orthonaroviruses will allow a better understanding of the effect that these viruses have on human health.