China Reports 1st Human Death From Monkey B Virus
China has reported its first human infection with Monkey B Virus and subsequent death.
In China, a Beijing-based 53 year old veterinarian was the first person to get infected with the Monkey B virus and die. He got infected because he had dissected two dead monkeys in early March. All close contacts of the patient are reported to have tested negative for the virus and are safe from it.
What is the Monkey B virus?
Monkey B virus is a virus that affects only Macaques Monkeys. The virus can be found in their saliva, brain or spinal cord, feces, or urine, tissue. B virus can survive for hours on surfaces, particularly when moist. Humans can get infected if they are bitten or scratched by an infected monkey; get an infected monkey’s tissue or fluid on broken skin or in eyes, nose, or mouth; scratch or cut oneself on a contaminated cage or other sharp-edged surface or get exposed to the brain, spinal cord, or skull of an infected monkey. Symptoms typically start within one month of being exposed to B virus, but could appear in as little as three to seven days.
The first indications of B virus infection are typically flu-like symptoms such as fever and chills, muscle ache, fatigue and headache. As the disease progresses, the virus spreads to and causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. It can cause brain damage and severe damage to the nervous system and in extreme cases, death. Currently, there are no vaccines that can protect against B virus infection. The virus might pose a potential threat to laboratory workers, veterinarians, and others who may be exposed to monkeys. Till date, only one case has been documented of an infected person spreading B virus to another person.
