A New Orthonairovirus Associated with Human Febrile Illness
Xiao‐Ai Zhang, Yidan Ma, Yun-Fa Zhang, Zhenyu Hu, Jingtao Zhang, Shuo Han, Gang Wang, Shuang Li, X. L. Wang, Fang Tang, Wen-Jun Liang, Yuan Hong-xia, Jiaqi Zhao, Lan-Fen Jiang, Lei Zhang, Guang‐Qian Si, Cong Peng, Rui Wang, Hong‐Han Ge, Nan Li, Bao-Gui Jiang, Chang Li, Hao Li, Wei Liu
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In June 2019, a patient presented with persistent fever and multiple organ dysfunction after a tick bite at a wetland park in Inner Mongolia. Next-generation sequencing in this patient revealed an infection with a previously unknown orthonairovirus, which we designated Wetland virus (WELV). METHODS: We conducted active hospital-based surveillance to determine the prevalence of WELV infection among febrile patients with a history of tick bites. Epidemiologic investigation was performed. The virus was isolated, and its infectivity and pathogenicity were investigated in animal models. RESULTS: tick is a possible vector that can transovarially transmit WELV. CONCLUSIONS: A newly discovered orthonairovirus was identified and shown to be associated with human febrile illnesses in northeastern China. (Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences.).