Several new tick-borne viruses have been discovered worldwide over the past decade, with the latest being a previously unidentified orthonairovirus called Wetland virus (WELV).
First detected in 2019, WELV was identified in a patient hospitalized with fever and multiple organ dysfunction following a visit to a wetland park in Inner Mongolia.
To investigate further, researchers tested 680 patients from four hospitals in northeastern China who developed a fever after tick bites. Twenty of them tested positive for WELV, with three also diagnosed with other tick-borne diseases.
As reported by jamanetwork, most patients experienced general symptoms like fever, nausea, and vomiting, though one patient displayed neurological issues, including coma. Additionally, mice injected with WELV exhibited pathological brain changes.
The virus was found in about 2% of 14,500 ticks collected from the region, specifically in Haemaphysalis concinna ticks, suggesting they might be a vector. WELV was also detected in animals like mice, sheep, pigs, and horses, raising concerns about easier transmission among ticks and to humans. Researchers emphasized the need for increased surveillance and detection of orthonairoviruses to better understand their impact on human health.