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Langya, the newest virus is circulating and has infected dozens of people in China

Langya, the newest virus is circulating and has infected dozens of people in

Doctors have raised the alarm about a brand new virus that has infected dozens of people in China.

The "Langya" virus, or LayV, was detected in 35 people in the country's eastern Henan and Shandong provinces.

It belongs to a family of viruses known to kill up to three quarters of people in severe cases.

None of the new cases have resulted in death and most are mild, with patients experiencing flu-like symptoms.

Langya, the newest virus is circulating and has infected dozens of people in

The new virus is thought to have been transmitted by small mammals from the same family as hedgehogs.

A recently published study found that the virus was first detected in humans in 2019, with the most recent cases this year.

Chinese experts investigating the virus believe human cases are 'sporadic'. They are still trying to figure out if it can spread from person to person.

Langya is from the same family as Nipah virus, which is a deadly pathogen commonly found in bats.

Like Covid, Nipah can spread through the air. But it is far more deadly, killing up to three-quarters of the people it infects.

Langya, the newest virus is circulating and has infected dozens of people in

It has been listed as one of the viruses most likely to cause the next pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The virus was first detected in Malaysia and Singapore in 1999, when 300 cases led to 100 deaths.

There is currently no Nipah vaccine approved for humans, but at least eight are currently being tested in animals, including one made by the University of Oxford.