China reports its first human infection with Monkey B Virus (BV) followed by a subsequent death of a Beijing-based veterinary surgeon who was infected with the virus after he dissected two dead monkeys in early March.
The veterinarian started showing symptoms of nausea and vomiting along with neurological effects. He visited several hospitals but eventually died on March 27. The cerebrospinal fluid of the veterinarian was collected in mid-April which came positive for BV, while the samples of his close contacts showed negative results.
The virus was first found in 1932, can be transmitted via direct contact and exchange of bodily secretions. It is reported that there were no fatal BV infections in China before, thus the vet’s case marks the first human infection case with BV in China. The symptoms usually start to show within 1-3 weeks of contact.
