Ticks may cause even more harm to humans than we knew.
Scientists in China believe theyve discovered a novel tickborne virus that can infect people and other animals.
He also didnt respond to an initial course of antibiotics, indicating that a viral infection was to blame.
An unidentified tick on a wild plant in the North China Plain.© lnzyx via Getty
And when the scientists tested his blood, they came across a never-before-seen viral agent.
They decided to dub their find the Wetland virus, or WELV.
Thankfully, all of the identified patients did eventually recover.
The researchers also found WELV antibodies in some dogs and cattle, suggesting a larger range of animal hosts.
So theres still a lot more to be learned about this new potential tickborne foe and others like it.
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