| Wetland virus | |
|---|---|
Virus classification  | |
| (unranked): | Virus |
| Realm: | Riboviria |
| Kingdom: | Orthornavirae |
| Phylum: | Negarnaviricota |
| Class: | Bunyaviricetes |
| Order: | Hareavirales |
| Family: | Nairoviridae |
| Genus: | Orthonairovirus |
| Virus: | Wetland virus |
Wetland virus or WELV is a tick borne Orthonairovirus which can infect humans. It can produce fever, headache, dizziness, malaise, arthritis and less commonly petechiae, localized lymphadenopathy. Complications may include neurological symptoms. [1] [2]
The Wetland virus orthonairovirus (WELV) is a member of the genus Orthonairovirus , family Nairoviridae [1] of RNA viruses. It was first identified in 2019 in a Chinese person in Jinzhou, Liaoning province Northeast China after a visit to a wetland park in Yakeshi, Inner Mongolia. Three different strains were identified one from the patient and two from ticks. [1]
Its sequence is most similar to the Tofla virus from Japan. [1]
The Wetland virus was found in mice, sheep, pigs, cows, and horses, but not dogs. It was found in about 2% of 14,500 different ticks in Northeast China with the highest prevalence (6%) in Haemaphysalis concinna . [2]
Symptoms of infection with the Wetland virus are fever, headache, dizziness, malaise, myalgia (muscle pain), arthritis, and back pain. Less commonly there are petechiae and localized lymphadenopathy. [1] One person also had severe neurological symptoms, but all recovered without sequelae. [1] Symptoms and signs resemble those of Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever, and the differential diagnosis includes severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome and spotted fever. [1]
Nucleoside analogs have been shown to have significant promise in treating WELV virus infections [3] and is in clinical stages.