Langya henipavirus identified in China https://bit.ly/3dkrQGI During sentinel surveillance of febrile patients with a recent history of animal exposure in eastern China, a phylogenetically distinct henipavirus, named Langya henipavirus (LayV), was identified in a throat swab sample from one patient by means of metagenomic analysis and subsequent virus isolation. Subsequent investigation identified 35 patients with acute LayV infection in the Shandong and Henan provinces of China. Symptoms presented include fever, fatigue, cough, impaired liver and kidney function, among others. Among 25 species of wild small animals surveyed, LayV RNA was predominantly detected in shrews (27%), a finding that suggests that the shrew may be a natural reservoir of LayV