Beijing Vet Dies of Monkey B Virus, Which Has 70 to 80 Percent Fatality Rate

Beijing Vet Dies of Monkey B Virus, Which Has 70 to 80 Percent Fatality Rate
A Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) looks on under heavy rainfall at the Zoo Parc of Beauval in Saint-Aignan, Centre France, on July 13, 2021. Guillaume Souvant/AFP via Getty Images
Nicole Hao
Updated:

China has reported the first death from the rare Monkey B virus in its history. The individual, identified as a veterinarian in Beijing, was infected by monkeys in March and died on May 27.

Monkey B virus (BV), also known as Herpes B virus, has a fatality rate of 70 to 80 percent, wrote the authors of the report published on July 17 in the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s English journal China CDC Weekly. The report states that the deceased’s close contacts were tested in April and were found to be free of the virus.
Nicole Hao
Nicole Hao
Author
Nicole Hao is a Washington-based reporter focused on China-related topics. Before joining the Epoch Media Group in July 2009, she worked as a global product manager for a railway business in Paris, France.
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