China is now facing a new health threat from another virus, that is
tick-borne.
The virus causes a disease called “Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia
Syndrome (SFTS).
According to reports, it has already killed seven people and infected at
least 60, setting off alarm bells among health officials in the country.
Many of the cases reported were concentrated in East China’s Jiangsu and
Anhui provinces, local media reported.
While more than 37 people were diagnosed with SFTS in Jiangsu in the early
months of 2020, 23 were later found to be infected in Anhui.
While the disease is transferred to humans through tick bites, Chinese
virologists have warned that human-to-human transmission of the virus cannot be
ruled out.
Unlike SARS-CoV-2 however, this is not the first time the SFTS virus has
infected people.
The recent spate of cases marks a re-emergence of the disease,
IndianExpresss.com reports.
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) belongs to the
Bunyavirus family and is transmitted to humans through tick bites. The virus
was first identified by a team of researchers in China over a decade ago. The
first few cases were reported in rural areas of Hubei and Henan provinces in
2009.
The team of researchers identified the virus by examining blood samples
obtained from a cluster of people exhibiting similar symptoms. According to a
report by Nature, the virus killed at least 30 per cent of those infected.
The current case fatality rate rests between approximately 16 and 30 per
cent, according to the China Information System for Disease Control and
Prevention.
Due to the rate at which it spreads and its high fatality rate, SFTS has
been listed among the top 10 priority diseases blue print by the World Health
Organisation (WHO).
Virologists believe an Asian tick called Haemaphysalis longicornis is the
primary vector, or carrier, of the virus. The disease is known to spread
between March and November.
Researchers have found that the total number of infections generally peaks
between April and July.
Farmers, hunters and pet owners are particularly vulnerable to the disease
as they regularly come in contact with animals that may carry the Haemaphysalis
longicornis tick.
Scientists have found that the virus is often transmitted to humans from
animals like goats, cattle, deer and sheep.
Despite being infected by the virus, animals generally do not show any
symptoms associated with SFTSV.
Patients suffering from the disease usually experience a whole range of
symptoms, including, fever, fatigue, chill, headache, lymphadenopathy,
anorexia, nausea, myalgia, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, gingival
hemorrhage, conjunctival congestion, and so on.
Some of the early warning signs of the disease include severe fever,
thrombocytopenia or low platelet count and leukocytopenia, which is low white
blood cell count.
The risk factors observed in more serious cases include multi-organ
failure, hemorrhagic manifestation and the appearance of central nervous system
(CNS) symptoms.