New Tick-Borne Virus in China
China has reported a new infectious disease caused by a tick-borne virus. Watch our latest video for all the details.
It has been more than seven months into the coronavirus pandemic which started from China and has till now infected about 19 million people across the world and resulted in more than 7 lakh fatalities. With strict social distancing measures and lockdowns still the toll continues to increase everyday. China has reported a new infectious disease caused by a tick-borne virus. According to the Chinese media the tick-borne virus has already infected about 67 people and killed 7. The authorities have already warned people of possible human to human transmission of the disease. Scientists and medical experts believe that the infection has been transmitted from ticks to humans. The virus which can be transmitted through tick bites has been identified as ‘Severe fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome’ or SFTS virus.
China’s Jiangsu Province had already reported more than 37 cases in the first half of the year and 23 more people were found to have contracted the disease later in Anhui Province. SFTS is not a new disease. It was first reported in 2009 in Central China. As per the reports of Chinese newspaper, a woman belonging to Nanjing, Capital of Jiangsu Province reported symptoms such as fever and coughing. After her medical examination, doctors found that she had low platelet count in her blood. Some of the other symptoms may include headache, fatigue and muscle ache. Sheng Jifang, a Chinese doctor said that patients can pass the virus to others via blood or mucous. Doctors warned that tick bite is the major transmission route. People must be cautious then there is no need to over panic on such virus contagion.
