A tick-borne disease is an infectious disease caused by the bite of a disease-carrying tick.
People may be bitten by ticks when they enter the habitat of these ticks during outdoor work, farm work, leisure activities, etc.
If ticks carry viruses, bacteria, etc., people who are bitten may become ill.
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS)
In January 2013, a patient with severe febrile thrombocytopenic syndrome (SFTS) was confirmed for the first time in Japan.
The pathogen is the SFTS virus.
It is infected by being bitten by a tick such as the genus thoracic tick, which carries the virus. Contact infection with the blood and bodily fluids of infected patients has also been reported.
Ticks are large, outdoor-dwelling ticks, and indoor-dwelling ticks (e.g., Acaridae, House dust mites, etc.) are not related to this disease.
The main symptoms are fever and gastrointestinal symptoms, which can be severe and even fatal.
reference
- Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare "Q&A on Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenic Syndrome (SFTS)" (External link)
- Tokyo Metropolitan Infectious Disease Surveillance Center "Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS)" (External link)
About other tick-borne infectious diseases
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Infectious Disease Control Division, Healthy Lifestyle Department
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