China reports first human death from rare monkey B virus-National

China Said it has recorded the first case of human infection and death by a primate, involving Monkey B virus, A rare and deadly pathogen, is still little known in some parts of the world.

According to the Ministry of Health of China, the victim was a 53-year-old veterinarian from Beijing who contracted the virus when he dissected a dead monkey in early March. CDC WeeklyOfficials said the patient began to show symptoms in April and died on May 27. Since then, two close contacts have tested negative for the virus.

The patient developed nausea, fever, and vomiting about one month after infection. Soon thereafter, neurological symptoms began to appear, prompting health officials to conduct a series of tests. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that they eventually found monkey B virus in the blood and saliva of the patient. They could not save him from the disease.

This is an unusual discovery for health officials in China, where doctors have never documented this virus in humans before.

Monkey B or herpes B viruses usually infect rhesus monkeys. Since 1932, fewer than 100 human transmission cases have been recorded worldwide. Washington post report. This disease is very fatal when it jumps to humans. If left untreated, it attacks the central nervous system and kills the patient about 70% to 80% of the time.

According to the United States, scientists, researchers, and veterinarians are the most common victims of this disease, usually spread through bites, scratches, or contact with brain and spinal cord tissue. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In an interview with the Washington Post, Japanese infectious disease expert Kentaro Iwata said that most of the virus cases were found in North America, but this may be because doctors there are more aware of the existence of the virus.

According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of human-to-human transmission is “very small”, but there has been one documented case in the past.

The health agency also issued an alert to the virus, saying it “may pose a potential zoonotic threat to professional workers, especially those who come into contact with monkeys.”