Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a tick-borne infection.^[1] Signs and symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of consciousness and heamorrhage.^[1]

It is an

Virology

The life cycle of the SFTSV most likely involves arthropod vectors and animal hosts. Humans appear to be largely accidental hosts. SFTSV has been detected in Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks.^{[citation needed]}

Epidemiology

SFTS occurs in China's rural areas from March to November with the majority of cases from April to July. In 2013, Japan and Korea also reported several cases with deaths.^[4]

In July 2013, South Korea reported a total of eight deaths since August 2012.^[5]

In July 2017, Japanese doctors reported that a woman had died of SFTS after being bitten by a cat that may have itself been infected by a tick. The woman had no visible tick bites, leading doctors to believe that the cat — which died as well — was the transmission vector.^[6][7]

In early 2020 an outbreak occurred in East China, more than 37 people were found with SFTS in Jiangsu province, while 23 more were found infected in Anhui province in August 2020.^[8] Seven people have died.^[9]

Evolution

The virus originated 50–150 years ago and has undergone a recent population expansion.^[10]

History

In 2009 Xue-jie Yu and colleagues isolated the