Taiwan: 1st case of tickborne infection, SFTS reported

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews

The Taiwan Department of Disease Control announced the first case of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) in the country. According to the news release (computer translated), the patient is a 70-year-old male in the north who has not recently gone abroad but is often active in mountainous areas, October 24-11.

On the 2nd of the month, due to repeated fever and vomiting symptoms, he went to the clinic for medical treatment. Later, due to rash and consciousness change, he was sent to hospital on November 3 and admitted to hospital. After the hospital was diagnosed, he was suspected of dengue fever. On November 6th, he was admitted to the hospital.

The test was judged to be SFTS virus positive on the evening of November 13, and the expert meeting held yesterday confirmed the virus sequence and the date. Korean epidemic strains are similar to this Taiwan case.

68 contacts will be monitored until the end of the month.

This is the first SFTS case reported in Taiwan. Cases have been previously reported in China, Japan and South Korea.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a newly emerging infectious disease. Symptoms and laboratory abnormalities are fever, thrombocytopenia, leukocytopenia, and elevated serum enzyme levels. Multiorgan failure occurs in severe cases, and 6%–30% of case-patients die. The syndrome is caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV) (genus Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae).

Ixodid tick species are implicated as vectors of SFTSV.