A novel virus, designated Wetland (Welv), has been identified in China. It is transmitted by ticks and causes neurological damage. The virus was detected in a 61-year-old patient, who presented with fever, headaches, and bouts of vomiting. The patient reported being stung by a tick in a large wetland area of Mongolia. The case, which dates from June 2019, has recently been the subject of analysis in the New England Journal of Medicine of the Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology.
The Wetland virus is one of a group of viruses transmitted specifically by ticks. To gain a greater understanding of the virus’s transmission, researchers collected and analysed almost 14,600 ticks, finding the virus in five different species. The most significant findings were observed in the species Haemaphysalis concinna, which is predominantly distributed across China, Russia, and Central Europe. A total of 17 patients from Inner Mongolia and the Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning were diagnosed with an acute infection with Welv. All patients were successfully treated with antivirals, antibiotics, or immunoglobulins, and no long-term complications were observed.
