New dangerous tick-borne virus discovered in China

The attention of the global medical and scientific community has once again turned to China. Scientists at the Beijing State Key Laboratory of Pathogen Discovery and Biosafety have officially recorded a new dangerous pathogen transmitted to humans by ticks. One of the world's most prestigious medical journals, The New England Journal of Medicine , published research results showing that experts have identified a new virus strain belonging to the Orthonairovirus genus and revealed its genetic characteristics. This unknown pathogen is capable of causing high fever and dangerous clinical symptoms in the human body. So, what is the name of this new virus, what are its symptoms, and what threat do ticks pose to humans? At the end of the article, we will provide all the details regarding the origin of the ALTNV pathogen, its unique genetic structure, and the history of the first cases.

Metatranscriptomic analysis and the discovery by Beijing scientists

Researchers at a leading Beijing laboratory managed to isolate the new pathogen during a thorough medical examination of patients:

• Complex genetic sequencing: Experts fully isolated the virus using metatranscriptomic sequencing;

• Unusual result: A previously unknown pathogen was found in patients who showed symptoms of SFTS (Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome) but tested negative for the SFTS virus;

• Official name assigned: Researchers named this new type of orthonairovirus “Asian longhorned tick nairovirus” (Asian longhorned tick nairovirus — ALTNV);

• Risk of high fever: According to the scientists' conclusions, ALTNV is transmitted directly to the human body through tick bites and causes high fever and intoxication.

“We performed metatranscriptomic sequencing and isolated the new virus. The data obtained indicate that ALTNV is a newly emerged pathogenic orthonairovirus transmitted by ticks that causes high fever in humans,” reported the Beijing research group.

Phylogenetic analysis: Less than 80 percent similarity and confirmation of a new species

Scientists noted the following important aspects in studying the evolutionary origin and biological structure of the new virus:

• Amino acid divergence: According to the results of phylogenetic analysis, the amino acid sequence similarity of the newly discovered ALTNV virus with other known orthonairoviruses is less than 80.04 percent , which proves that it is a completely independent and new species;

• A new addition to the WELV family: This pathogen belongs to the same group as the previously mentioned WELV orthonairoviruses, expanding their evolutionary network;

• Risk to vertebrates and humans: All viruses in this genus are carried by ticks and can actively infect other vertebrates in addition to humans.

The main solution and the new threat of Nairobi disease

The most important question that interests many health experts and the public is how epidemiologically dangerous orthonairoviruses are and how long this pathogen has been spreading. The most important solution and conclusion is that, the name of this orthonairovirus genus actually comes from “Nairobi sheep disease,” which causes serious damage to the gastrointestinal tract of sheep and goats. However, members of this family are now mutating and adapting directly to the human body. According to reports, while the first case of infection with this type of pathogen was officially recorded back in 2019, the discovery of the new ALTNV strain today shows that the threat of ticks in nature is constantly transforming. Experts urge people to be careful about tick bites when going out into nature and interacting with livestock, and to consult a doctor immediately if bitten.

Do you think that new types of unknown viruses spreading through ticks and other insects around the world could lead to new pandemics in the future? What preventive measures do you think should be taken to protect against ticks during the spring and summer seasons? Leave your thoughts in the comments and share this urgent news from the world of medicine to protect the health of your loved ones and family!