There's a new killer virus been identified in Africa; here's the story as I read it in the NZ Herald this morning--'Scientists have identified a lethal new virus in Africa that causes bleeding like the dreaded Ebola virus. The so-called 'Lujo virus' infected five people in Zambia and South Africa last year. Four of them died, but a fifth survived, perhaps helped by a medicine reccomended by the scientists. It's not clear how the first person became infected, but the bug comes from a family of viruses found in rodents. The outbreak started in September, when a female travel agent who lives on the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia, became sick with a fever-like illness that quickly grew much worse.'
The paper was quoting Dr Ian Lipkin, a Columbia University epidemiologist involved in the discovery.
The paper was quoting Dr Ian Lipkin, a Columbia University epidemiologist involved in the discovery.