China reports first death from rare Monkey B virus

The China Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) reported last weekend that a man had died from the rare Monkey B virus (BV).

The virus, also called “Macacin alphaherpesvirus 1” by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, originates from monkeys of the genus Macaca and is usually transmitted by direct contact and body fluids. It was first isolated in 1932.

According to the CCDC statement, the patient who contracted the virus was a 53-year-old veterinarian who worked at an institute in Beijing specializing in “non-human primate breeding and experimental research.” He had dissected two monkeys on March 4 and 6 of this year and began to experience nausea, vomiting and fever about a month later.

He died on March 27 after visiting several different hospitals. It is believed to be the first fatal case of BV recorded in China.

“Although the risk of secondary transmission appears minimal, one case of human-to-human transmission of the herpes B virus has already been documented,” CCDC said. “Zoonotic BV infections have primarily involved primate veterinarians, animal care personnel, or laboratory researchers in North America.”

“There is a need to eliminate BV during the development of specific rhesus colonies free of pathogens and to strengthen surveillance in laboratory macaques and workers in China,” the agency added.

As the Washington Post reports, there have been fewer than 100 known cases of BV, although some may have gone unnoticed due to lack of awareness. There has been only one documented case of a human transmitting the virus to another person.