The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has cautioned people of a new virus — Cat Que — that has emerged in China, according to a study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR).

The apex body revealed that the virus has the potential to spread across India which can lead to multiple diseases including febrile illnesses, meningitis, and paediatric encephalitis.

The new virus has come from Culex mosquitoes and pigs in China and Vietnam. India also provides a breeding climate to this species of Culex mosquitoes.

ICMR said that virologists at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, has found antibodies against this virus in 883 people. This means the virus has already marked its entry into the country.

The researchers at NIV, however, could not find the virus in human or animal samples so far.

Earlier in 2014 and 2017, two cases of the virus had emerged in India, both from Karnataka.

The ICMR study further said that mosquitoes in India are susceptible to CQV, which could lead to another epidemic.

Its natural host is a mosquito. Domestic pigs are also considered the primary mammalian host of the Cat Que virus, the study added.

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