New virus carried by ticks discovered in China which can invade the brain

Scientists in China have lifted the lid on a tick-borne virus that can potentially cause damage to the brain.

The wetland virus (WELV) was first discovered back in 2019 when a 61-year-old patient fell sick five days after being bitten by ticks in Inner Mongolia.

His symptoms consisted of a fever, a headache and bouts of vomiting which he was prescribed antibiotics for. The symptoms didn't ease after his round of medication which suggested the infection wasn't caused by bacteria.

Detailed in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists wanted to take a closer look at animals and that may be carrying the newly discovered orthonairovirus (the scientific name of the virus).

From studying almost 14,600 ticks, they found WELV in five different species. One of the rodent tick species, haemaphysalis concinna, tested the most positive and is found predominantly in China, Central Europe and Russia.

Researchers also found the virus in 17 patients in China, who developed symptoms following a tick bite, as per Live Science. Symptoms included back pain, nausea, fever and dizziness, with one patient going into a coma with a high white blood cell count in the fluid surrounding their brain and spinal cord.

All patients eventually recovered and were discharged within fifteen days after treatment.

While it was good news for recent patients, experiments on mice showed that WELV can reach the brain and has the potential to affect the nervous system.

"Taken together, these data suggest that a newly discovered orthonairovirus, WELV, is [pathogenic] to humans … and circulates among humans, ticks and various animals in northeastern China," researchers concluded.

"Improving surveillance and detection for emerging orthonairoviruses will allow a better understanding of the effect that these viruses have on human health."

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