TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has developed a PCR diagnostic method for Langya henipavirus (LayV), a newly identified virus from China that has sickened 35 people since 2018.

The virus came to light after a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) on Aug. 4 flagged that a zoonotic disease had appeared in Shandong and Henan provinces. The individuals were believed to have been infected by shrews that carried the virus.

Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), deputy director-general of Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, said Sunday (Aug. 14) the country’s laboratories have put in place a testing mechanism for the virus through the means suggested by the research.

No evidence has shown that LayV can be transmitted from humans to humans, Chuang said. While the virus is not deemed a cause for concern and no infection has been reported in Taiwan, Chuang said suspected cases can be sent for screenings as a precaution, wrote CNA.

Symptoms of Langya virus include cough, fever, and fatigue. Scientists have downplayed the risk of the virus creating the next pandemic but cautioned that beefed-up surveillance is needed and that more zoonotic pathogens could travel unnoticed, per CNN.