Camp Hill virus, close to Nipah, discovered in Alabama Shrews in the United States, sparkling pandemic concerns

Last update:February 01, 2025, 23:23 IST

The Camp Hill virus, linked to NIPAH, emerged in North America, with fears that realized its potential propagation of animals to humans.

The Camp Hill virus, linked to NIPAH, was identified in Musagnes in North America. (Image: Pixabay)

Researchers from the University of Queensland identified the Hill camp virus, a Henipavirus linked to Nipah, in Shrews found in Alabama. This marks the first discovery of the virus in North America and raised concerns among scientists concerning its potential transmission for humans and the risk of an epidemic.

Dr. Rhys Parry by Queensland University has confirmed the discovery of the Camp Hill virus in Shrews in Alabama, in the United States. This observation raises concerns that the virus, which is part of the Henipavirus family, could spread more broadly than we thought before. Henipavirus, which also includes Hendra and Nipah viruses, can cause serious illnesses in humans and animals. These viruses are transported by bats and are known to have caused serious respiratory and neurological problems.

“Henipavirus have caused serious illnesses and death in people and animals in other regions. One of the most dangerous is the Hendra virus, which was first detected in Brisbane, Australia, and has a mortality rate of 70%. Another example is the Nipah virus which recorded death rates between 40 and 75% of epidemics in Southeast Asia, including in Malaysia and Bangladesh, “said Rhys Parry by the SCitechDaily website.

“The discovery of a Henipavirus in North America is very important because it suggests that these viruses can be more distributed worldwide than we thought previously,” he added.

These viruses are wrapped RNA viruses wrapped with a touch of negative meaning. Hendra and Nipah viruses are zoonotic, which means that they can spread from animals to humans, mainly through bats. On the other hand, the CEDPV, also found in bats, is not harmful to animals and does not spread to humans.

The Hill Camp Virus was discovered in short-sized northern muscles, a small mammal commonly found across Canada and the United States.

“The henipavirus closest to the Camp Hill virus which caused the disease in humans is the Langya virus, which has gone from the Musagnes to the man in China. This indicates that the transmission of Musagaine to Human can occur, “said Parry.

Dr. Parry said that additional research is necessary to determine if this poses a risk for humans. He noted that the Langya virus, a related Henipavirus, had crossed the Musagnes to humans in China, suggesting that the transmission of Musagaigne to Human is possible.

Location :

Washington DC, United States of America (United States)