3 Things To Know About the New Cat Que Virus
Are we to fear another virus taking over the world? Read along to know the essentials on CQV.
By Puneet Kapani •
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The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has made a warning declaration regarding yet another virus found in China – the Cat Que Virus. While the world is already struggling under the captivity of the not-so-novel-anymore Corona Virus, here is another virus with the potential to spread diseases all across India.
Panic and resentment were the two reactions that made the impact of corona slip out and, thus, only knowledge can be of great help in dealing with Cat Que. Read the 3 things you should know about this virus and be alert. Here's what we know so far!
1. The Cat Que Virus is known to be capable of causing febrile illness, meningitis and paediatric encephalitis in humans. Having been spot explicitly in culex mosquitoes and pigs in China and some regions of Vietnam, the origin is said to be interlinked. The fact that concerns India is the avid breeding of culex mosquitoes which are very well found here!
2. There is evidence that people in India have already been affected with this virus. The National Institute of Virology in Pune has discovered antibodies of this virus in 0.2 percent of human serum samples collected from various states. Studies do not establish any active presence of the virus in humans or animals for that matter.
3. The two samples that have tested positive show the presence of Cat Que Virus antibodies leading back to Karnataka and the southern states. The virus is naturally hosted in a mosquito. Domestic pigs might also be potential hosts of this novel Cat Que Virus. These results have been computed from samples collected from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
How to be safe?
While nothing is crystal clear regarding the safety precautions for avoiding contact with the Cat Que Virus, some revelations have surfaced. It is said that humans can get infected through contact with the host mosquitoes and the virus might replicate causing diseases. Hence, the first protocol for safety is ensuring mosquitoes do not breed freely in any area near or around you.
Traces of such infection have also been found in pigs, birds and smaller animals, hence making your diet a channel for a possible infection. While the corona virus pandemic has forced people to stay and eat at home anyway, it is probably advisable not to consume pork and related products and perhaps stick to a simpler diet in these times. A basic hygienic, mosquito-free and cleaned habitat can be a good safety recipe for dealing with the unknowns regarding CQV. Stay safe and stay aware!
