In China, new tick borne virus kills 7, leaves 60 others infected

A new contagious disease engendered by a tick-borne virus has caused the death of seven people and infected 60 others in China, official media reported on Wednesday, cautioning about the possibility of its human to human transmission.

Over 37 people in China’s Jiangsu province became infected with the Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus in the first half of the year. Later, 23 people were found to have been infected in China’s Anhui province, state run Global Times cited media reports.

The woman from Nanjing, who was suffering from the virus displayed onset of symptoms for example fever, coughing. Doctors observed a drop in leukocyte, blood platelet inside of her body. After a month of treatment, she was discharged from the hospital.

At a minimum, seven people have lost their lives in Anhui and Zhejiang province due to the virus, the report mentioned. SFTS Virus is not a novel virus. China has isolated pathogen of the virus in 2011, and it belongs to the Bunyavirus category.

According to Virologists the infection may have been passed on to humans by ticks and that the virus can be passed on between humans.

A doctor from a hospital under Zhejiang University, stated that the likelihood of human-to-human transmission could not be ruled out, patients can pass the virus to others through blood or mucous.

Doctors have forewarned that tick bite is the main transmission route, provided that people remain heedful, there is no need to over panic over such virus contagion.

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