Veterinarian In China Died Of Virus From Monkey

Photo illustration (Source: Antara)

JAKARTA - A veterinarian infected with the monkey B virus in China has reportedly died.

But so far, several people who had close contact with the victim have survived, the Chinese Center for Infectious Diseases Prevention (CCDC) reported in its weekly journal, reported Saturday, July 17.

The journal said a 53-year-old man from Beijing who worked at a primate research institute died on May 27. He developed early symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, a month after dissecting two monkeys that died in early March.

The doctor had undergone treatment in a number of hospitals before he died. The CCDC said there was no previous fatality or clinical evidence of monkey B virus infection in China.

The death of the veterinarian is the first case of death of the monkey B virus in humans. Researchers took samples of cerebrospinal fluid from the vet in April and the results confirmed he was positive for the monkey B virus.

However, samples taken from close contacts showed negative results. The virus was first identified in 1932 as an "enzootic alphaherpesvirus" in Macaca monkeys.

The virus can be transmitted through direct contact and exchange of body secretions with a mortality rate of 70 to 80 percent. In the journal, the CCDC also mentions monkeys may potentially pose a threat to those around them.