Indian Council Of Medical Research has warned the country about a virus called CAT QUE VIRUS.
According to the researchers, the Cat Que virus is found in pigs and Culex mosquitoes that carry a wide array of public health threats.
As per the National Institute of Virology (NIV), ICMR, Pune, 2 out of 883 human serum samples that came for the study, had anti-CQV IgG antibodies. This means these two Indians had contracted the virus at some point in time. Notably, the Cat Que virus spreads through a species of mosquito called Culex and pigs.
The virus was first isolated in 2004 from mosquitoes during surveillance of arbovirus activity in acute pediatric encephalitis in Northern Vietnam.
The researchers said the Cat Que virus can cause febrile illnesses (such as fever, headaches, chills, muscle and joint pains), meningitis (inflammation of the meninges), and pediatric encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) in humans.
To diagnose the condition, a doctor may conduct certain tests including peripheral smear examination, rapid diagnostic test, ELISA, polymerase chain reaction, etc. To treat acute febrile illness, doctors target the cause of the condition and prescribe medication accordingly.
The ICMR researchers concluded that the presence of the CQV IgG antibody in human serum samples and the replication capability of the virus in mosquitoes indicated a possible disease-causing potential of CQV in the Indian scenario.
The apex research body noted that domestic pigs are the primary mammalian host of CQV and antibodies against the virus have been reported in swine reared locally in China. The researchers added that the screening of more human and swine serum samples is required as a proactive measure for understanding the prevalence of this neglected tropical virus.
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