Researchers say the newly discovered tick-borne wetland virus in China could cause brain damage

Scientists are warning about a new tick-borne disease called wetland virus (WELV), which was recently discovered in China.

WELV, a member of the Orthonairovirus genus, previously infected a man in Inner Mongolia, China, in 2019, but was not identified until this new study published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The 61-year-old man, who was bitten by a tick in a wetland park, sought medical attention for “persistent fever and multiple organ dysfunction,” the study said.

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A team of researchers from the Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology isolated the virus from this patient and later identified it as WELV.

Using laboratory tests, the team was then able to detect the virus in 17 other patients in China whose symptoms included fever, headache, dizziness, muscle pain, fatigue, back pain, arthritis, swollen lymph nodes and neurological problems, the study results said.

Some also had petechiae, which are spots on the skin caused by bleeding from capillaries.

The researchers found that eight of the recovered patients had four times as many WELV-specific antibodies as those who had not yet recovered.

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After taking antiviral medications, antibiotics or immunoglobulin therapy, all patients recovered without long-term health damage.

The wetland virus is similar to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, a virus that causes fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, skin bleeding and, in severe cases, liver failure, according to the study's findings.

Researchers found that the virus can cause brain damage and death.

The virus's RNA has been found in five different tick species as well as in sheep, horses, pigs and rodents in northeast China.

The virus was found to cause brain damage and death in mice and hamsters.

A team of researchers from the Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology isolated the virus. (iStock)

Diagnosing the wetland virus can be challenging because its symptoms typically correspond to those of a “non-specific disease,” the researchers noted.

“Improved surveillance and detection of emerging orthonairoviruses will lead to a better understanding of the impact of these viruses on human health,” they wrote.

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Dr. Marc Siegel, chief medical analyst at Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Centersaid the findings shed light on the wide range of viruses that can be transmitted by ticks or other “insect vectors.”

“This can cause hemorrhagic fever and can be quite fatal,” Siegel, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “It's worth keeping an eye on, but it's very rare.”

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Dr. Edward Liu, chief of the division of infectious diseases at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, pointed out that tick-borne diseases do not usually spread quickly.

“They're slowly expanding their territory as ticks change their habitat, but they have nothing to do with respiratory viruses, which are much more easily transmitted and can literally spread from continent to continent in a day,” he told Fox News Digital.

According to the CDC, it's important to identify and avoid areas where ticks may live, including wooded, grassy, ​​or bushy areas. (iStock)

Viruses or bacteria that live in ticks are specific to certain species, Liu noted, “so these viruses are not automatically transmitted to ticks in the United States.”

“I am not worried about a pandemic like COVID-19,” he added.

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However, he reiterated Siegel's warning of potentially fatal consequences, as wetland disease causes hemorrhagic fever, which can be fatal.

“Elderly people and patients with weakened immune systems are most at risk,” Liu said.

Preventing tick bites

The best protection against tick-borne diseases is protection against tick bites, experts say.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it's important to identify and avoid areas where ticks may live, including wooded, grassy, ​​or bushy areas. They can also live on animals.

The wetland virus is similar to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, a virus that causes fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, skin bleeding and, in severe cases, liver failure, according to the study's findings. (iStock)

The CDC recommends treating all clothing and equipment with products containing 0.5% permethrin, which helps repel ticks.

You can also use an EPA-approved insect repellent, such as one containing DEET.

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After being outdoors, the CDC recommends checking all clothing, gear, and pets for ticks when you return home. It's best to shower within a few hours.

The agency also recommends a full body examination.

To protect against tick bites, people can also apply an EPA-approved insect repellent, such as those containing DEET, according to the CDC. (iStock)

To kill all ticks, clothing can be dried on high heat for 10 minutes or washed with hot water.

Anyone who experiences symptoms of illness after a tick bite should contact a doctor.

For more articles on health, see www.foxnews.com/health

The study at the Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences.

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Fox News Digital has asked researchers for comment.