All articles tagged with #sfts
Chinese researchers have identified a new tick-borne virus, Asian longhorned tick nairovirus (ALTNV), during work on SFTS; ALTNV is tick-transmitted and can cause weakness and digestive issues, with some co-infections with Dabie bandavirus resulting in deaths. The findings were published in The New England Journal of Medicine, and researchers plan to develop a vaccine.
Beijing researchers identified Asian longhorned tick nairovirus (ALTNV), a new orthonairovirus transmitted by ticks that causes an influenza-like illness with fever, fatigue, GI symptoms, and abnormal liver tests. In a study of 3,163 patients, ALTNV was found in 10.4% of DBV-negative patients (15.1% among those negative for Dabie bandavirus), often presenting with fatigue, GI problems, thrombocytopenia, and elevated aminotransferases; coinfection with DBV was linked to more respiratory symptoms and kidney impairment, with 7 deaths in coinfected cases. ALTNV RNA was detected in 1.3% of ticks, especially Haemaphysalis longicornis, which can transmit the virus to mice. The virus is genetically distinct among orthonairoviruses and underscores the need for differential diagnosis in regions where SFTS is endemic.
Japan is experiencing a record high number of tick-borne infections, particularly Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS), with 149 cases reported in 2023 so far, mainly in western regions but also in other areas, prompting health officials to advise precautions against tick exposure.
An elderly woman in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, died from severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), an infectious disease transmitted by ixodid ticks. The woman, in her 80s, was bitten by a tick while doing farm work and experienced symptoms including fever and diarrhea. Despite being hospitalized, she passed away on August 13. The public health center advises people to wear protective clothing in grassy areas to minimize the risk of tick bites.