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Newly identified Langya virus being tracked after China infection

Researchers are monitoring a newly identified virus in China that appears to be transmitted from animals to humans, the Anadolu Agency reported.
While more than three dozen cases have been recorded in China since the virus was first detected in late 2018, it was only formally identified this week, the report said.
Cases of the Langya henipavirus (LayV) were reported mostly among farmers in the eastern provinces of Shandong and Henan between December 2018 and May 2021, with no fatalities so far.
Experts who identified the virus said LayV is “part of a genus of viruses called henipaviruses that are typically harbored in fruit bats,” according to a report by New Scientist, a UK-based weekly science and technology magazine.
The same genus “includes the Hendra virus, which was first identified in Australia in 1994 and is known to infect humans and horses,” the report said.

The Nipah virus, first detected in 1999 in Malaysia, is also part of this genus, it added. Both viruses have a high fatality rate in people.
The report said people infected with LayV had symptoms including fever, fatigue, cough, muscle aches and pains, nausea and headaches.
The LayV virus was identified using a throat swab sample from a person with fever and recent history of animal exposure.
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Researchers believe shrews “may be the virus’ natural reservoir” as 27% of the more than 260 shrews “they surveyed had detectable levels of LayV,” the report said.
The virus was also found in 5% of dogs and 2% of goats.
The researchers came up with no evidence of person-to-person transmission.
For nine of the infected people, “contact tracing with 15 of their close-contact family members revealed no LayV transmission,” the report said.
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“This suggests that the virus doesn’t pass from person to person, but rather animal to person. Nevertheless, the sample size is too small to rule out person-to-person transmission,” it added.
According to Olivier Restif, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Cambridge, LayV is “unlikely to become a pandemic” as it does not “typically spread between people.”
“The only henipavirus that has showed some sign of human-to-human transmission is the Nipah virus and that requires very close contact,” he was quoted as saying.
“I don’t think this has much pandemic potential.”
Source: aa
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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