Hyderabad: Even as the world is grappling with the coronavirus and its variants, a new virus, the Monkey B Virus (BV), has been reported from China. A veterinary surgeon is believed to be the first victim of the virus, after he dissected two animals while he was on his duty, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) briefing last week.
What is Monkey B Virus (BV)?
According to the United States’ Centre for Disease Control (CDC), the Monkey B Virus was first found in macaques, a genus of Old World monkeys in 1932.
All the people in contact with the veterinary surgeon are to be found negative post examining and contact tracing. Till now, about 50 cases have been documented wherein the victim got infected after they were bitten or scratched by a monkey.
The risk of getting infected by the Monkey B virus is relatively low, however it may pose a threat to people who are in close contact with the animal. The virus is spread through direct contact or through bodily secretions. It is found in urine, faeces, saliva and brain or spinal cord tissue of macaques.
What are the symptoms?
Similar to any flu virus or the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Monkey B Virus symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle ache. It may also lead to small blisters like wounds in a few cases. The symptoms may vary in each case ranging in between one day to a few weeks.
According to the China CDC Weekly, the virus has a fatality rate of 70 percent to 80 percent.
Any treatment?
As of now, no proven vaccine or treatment has been found to counter the virus, but timely intervention may help if under risk.
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