A new Henipavirus, named Langya henipavirus (LayV), was first identified in China in 2018 through a throat swab sample from a patient with a fever, according to a peer-reviewed medical journal.
Henipaviruses are an important emerging cause of zoonotic disease, that is, transmitted from animals to humans, according to BMJ Best Practice, a medical information platform. Among the five known species of Henipaviruses, two infect humans (Nipah and Hendra) and are associated with high case-fatality ratios. The Henipavirus is closely related to these two viruses.
