<p class="p1">The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has warned of yet another virus with origins from China — the Cat Que Virus. According to the ICMR, the virus has the potential to spread disease across India.</p>
<p class="p1">The new virus may cause febrile illnesses, meningitis, and paediatric encephalitis among humans.</p>
<p class="p1">The virus has been spotted in culex mosquitoes and pigs across China and Vietnam. India too is home to species of culex mosquitoes, said <span class="s1">researchers at the </span>ICMR's National Institute of Virology in Pune. The researchers added that <span class="s1">due to the spread of similar species of the Culex mosquitoes in India, there is a need to understand the replication kinetics of this virus.</span></p>
<p class="p1">The scientists discovered antibodies for the tropical virus in two out of the 883 human serum samples tested across states. It indicates that these two people were infected with the virus at some point of time. It was not found in any of the humans at the time of study.</p>
<p class="p1">"Anti-CQV IgG antibody positivity in human serum samples tested and the replication capability of CQV in mosquitoes indicated a possible disease-causing potential of CQV in the Indian scenario. Screening of more human and swine serum samples is required as a proactive measure for understanding the prevalence of this neglected tropical virus, research published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research stated in June.</p>
<p class="p1">In the Indian context, "data showed that mosquitoes such as Aedes Aegypti, Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. Tritaeniorhynchus were susceptible to CQV. Thus, mosquitoes were found to be a potential vector for CQV transmission to mammalian hosts", a scientist stated. (Please check the spellings of these three mosquitoes.)</p>
<p class="p1">According to the apex research body, domestic pigs are the primary host of CQV and antibodies against the virus have been reported in swine reared locally in China, indicating that CQV has formed a natural cycle in local areas.</p>.