New, possibly deadly virus found in Alabama animals. Here's what we know so far

Yahoo

05-02-2025

A new animal-borne virus has been discovered in Alabama. But the creature that carries it can be found along parts of the Atlantic seaboard, as far north as southern Saskatchewan, Canada, as far south as the Gulf states and as far west as Kansas.
A group of researchers from the The University of Queensland in Australia have identified a new strain of henipavirus in North America, the first found in the continent.
'Henipaviruses have caused serious disease and death in people and animals in other regions,' Dr. Rhys Parry of the UQ School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences said in a release from the university.
This strain is called Camp Hill, named for the place near Auburn, Alabama, where four infected northern short-tailed shrews were caught in 2021.
'The discovery of a henipavirus in North America is highly significant, as it suggests these viruses may be more globally distributed than previously thought.," Parry said.
Here's what we know so far about the new illness.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources data shows these animals are also called:
Short-tailed Blarina.
Mole Shrew.
Large Short-tailed Shrew.
According to the National Park Service, these shrews are about 4 inches long and weigh about an ounce. They're insectivores in the same family of animals as moles, and they aren't rodents like mice or rats.
They spend most of their time underground or in leaf litter and use echolocation to move in the dark.
These shrews have venomous saliva that's enough to paralyze or kill some prey. Because the shrew doesn't have fangs, it introduces the neurotoxin by chewing or gnawing on its intended victim.
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'The closest known henipavirus to Camp Hill virus that has caused disease in humans is Langya virus, which crossed from shrews to humans in China,' Parry said.
'This indicates that shrew-to-human transmission can occur.'
Shrews are considered the primary carrier for Langya, but it's also been found in goats and dogs.
"Given the high case-fatality rates associated with henipaviruses, detection of CHV in North America raises concerns about past and potential future spillover events. Further investigation is needed into the potential for human infection and strategies for mitigating transmission," reads the research letter published in Emerging Infectious Diseases.
'Henipaviruses have caused serious disease and death in people and animals in other regions,' Parry said.
He said the Hendra virus has a 70% fatality rate, and Nipah has "recorded fatality rates between 40 and 75 per cent in outbreaks in South-East Asia, including in Malaysia and Bangladesh."
They can cause respiratory distress and encephalitis.
No fatalities were reported from Langya, but infected people did reportedly have:
Fever.
Fatigue.
Cough.
Impaired liver or kidney funtion.
According to information from the CDC, henipaviruses are single-strand RNA viruses that can infect humans. Of six that were previously identified, "Hendra virus and Nipah virus are highly virulent emerging pathogens that cause outbreaks in humans and are associated with high case-fatality ratios."
The CDC has it listed as a travel-association infection primarily found in other countries:
Nipah virus: Southeast Asia and Bangladesh, India.
Hendra virus: Austrailia.
Langya virus: China.
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The CDC noted that travelers should avoid bat roosting areas and practice food safety to avoid food contaminated by infected animals.
Flying fox bats are known to be carriers, and horses exposed to bat urine can infect people.
More research was needed, according to the CDC, to see how Langya virus was transferred to humans from shrews.
Dr. Ariel Isaacs, who co-authored the research, said developing a vaccines for this virus family is an important next step in the UQ news release.
'The next step for this work is to characterise key surface proteins on the virus that are involved in cell entry to broaden our understanding of the virus family and identify better ways to protect against it,' Isaacs said.
The infected animals also carried Camp Ripley Virus, a hantavirus previously found in northern short-tailed shrews.
Hantavirus is commonly carried by rodents and can be spread to people via infected urine, feces or saliva and can be made airborne while cleaning. According to the New York Department of Health, it can't be spread from person to person.
Hantavirus can be deadly with symptoms possibly showing up weeks after infection. Early symptoms can look like fever, fatigue and muscle pain. More advanced infections might include headache, diarrhea, dizziness and nausea/vomiting. The main issue is fluid buildup in the lungs.
It can be diagnosed with a blood test. Seek medical attention quickly if you have symptoms and think you've been exposed.
Bonnie Bolden is a Deep South Connect reporter with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: New strain of possibly deadly virus found in Alabama wild animals