Tick-Borne Virus In China Isn't New And We Know Plenty About It Already

With the COVID-19 still on the spread, global health committees have become more vigilant towards new or re-emerging diseases that are potentially a threat to humanity. A recent example of this is the ¡®tick-borne virus¡¯ that is raising alarm.

Reuters

Lately at least 60 people have been infected by this tick-borne virus and seven of them have succumbed to it in China.

Out of the 60, as many as 37 were diagnosed in Jiangsu, East China earlier this year while 23 from Anhui were found to be infected later. Though the disease is majorly transferred to humans through tick bites, a risk of human to human transmission is also a slight possibility.

The disease caused by the tick-borne virus is called Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome or SFTS. It belongs to the Bunyavirus family which mainly thrives in insects or rodents. Here is what we know so far about the virus.

The SFTS virus

(Representative Image: Reuters)

The SFT virus is not a new one. Cases of it first emerged in rural areas of Hubei and Henan provinces in China back in 2009. A team of researchers had then identified the virus for the first time by examining blood samples from a group of people displaying similar symptoms.

A 2015 report by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) identifies an Asian tick called Haemaphysalis longicornis as the primary vector of SFTS virus in China. Another report by Nature mentions a fatality rate of up to 30 percent of the virus in humans.

Who is vulnerable to SFTS virus?

Since the disease is mainly spread through ticks, humans are most prone to catch it through animals that may carry these ticks.

Those often in contact with animals, especially farmers, are thus advised to be extra cautious against the virus. Pet owners in the area are also recommended the same.

When does tick-borne virus peak?

Asian longhorned ticks (Image: CDC)

As per National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), Singapore, the peak season for SFTS is ¡°typically between spring and summer.¡± NCID cites two reasons for this - the seasonal life cycle of the tick vector as well as the increased outdoor activity during summer.

What are SFTS symptoms?

The NCID report on the virus mentions some symptoms to identify ¡°patients for investigation.¡± These symptoms related to ¡°an acute illness¡± include ¡°Fever AND Thrombocytopenia AND

Influenza-like symptoms (myalgia) OR gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea).¡±

Since the virus is limited to a few countries right now, NCID also mentions that it should be seen whether the patient has a history of travelling to any such country within 14 days of the onset of symptoms. It notes that the disease should not be confused with ¡°dengue, severe bacterial sepsis, rickettsiosis, leptospirosis and Zika virus infection.¡±

SFTS treatment

(Representative Image: Reuters)

As per a NCBI report dated October last year, ¡° there is no specific cure or vaccine for SFTS.¡±

The report, however, mentions a novel antiviral drug called Favipiravir to be a ¡°promising drug for the treatment of SFTS.¡±

Prevention has always been better than cure and the same holds true for SFTS. It is advised for people in the regions with known cases of the disease to avoid contracting ticks, meaning wearing full length clothes while walking through a grassy patch and being vigilant for ticks on their domestic animals.

Authorities of several nations are already on guard against the insurgence of the virus in their country. NCID mandates all health facilities on a similar note - ¡°All patients under investigation and confirmed cases of SFTS should be notified to MOH [Ministry of Health, Singapore].¡±

It is anticipated that a larger knowhow of the disease will help prevent any such outbreak of the tick-borne virus that is known to have a much higher fatality rate than COVID-19. Thankfully, ¡°observances of standard precautions in well-resourced settings are sufficient to prevent onward transmission¡± of the disease, NCID confirms.