Everything About the Newly Identified Deadly Wetland Virus that Poses Serious Risks to the Brain

A new virus, Wetland Virus (WELV), has been discovered in China. This newly identified virus can be transmitted to humans through tick bites and may cause neurological diseases in some cases. WELV was first identified in June 2019 in a 61-year-old patient from Jinzhou, who fell ill after a tick bite in the wetlands of Inner Mongolia. According to a report in The New England Journal of Medicine, the patient experienced fever, headache, and vomiting, with symptoms that were resistant to antibiotics.

WELV belongs to a group of tick-borne viruses known for causing severe illness in humans, like the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus. Following the initial discovery, researchers conducted an extensive investigation, collecting nearly 14,600 ticks from various locations in northern China. They found that 2% of these ticks tested positive for WELV genetic material.

The virus was also detected in sheep, horses, pigs, and a rodent species known as the Transbaikal zokor. It caused cytopathic effects in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and led to severe infections in animal models. Researchers also analysed blood samples from forest rangers in the region, finding that 12 out of 640 individuals had antibodies to WELV. Additional testing of patients who had been bitten by ticks revealed that 20 individuals tested positive for the virus. Symptoms ranged from mild to severe, including fever, dizziness, headache, nausea, and diarrhoea. In one case, a patient fell into a coma due to elevated white blood cell counts in the brain and spinal fluid.

Although all patients eventually recovered after treatment, laboratory experiments on mice indicated that the virus could cause lethal infections and potentially impact the nervous system. This suggests that while the virus may present as mild in some cases, it has the potential to cause severe health issues, particularly affecting the brain.