▌SFTS (Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome)
SFTS virus (SFTSV) is a febrile hemorrhagic disease caused by tick-mediated new infectious disease.
It is a febrile viral disease mainly caused by true ticks and occurs nationwide from spring to autumn.
Although some patients still have a high fatality rate, infection prevention and transmission management are very important because there are no established treatments or vaccines so far.
▌Discovery
In 2009, a number of patients with high fever, digestive symptoms, and leukocytosis with platelet reduction occurred in Hebei, central China, and rural Henan Province, and SFTS Bunyavirus, a member of RNA virus, was first discovered through two years of epidemiological investigation and pathogen research.
Since then, cases of infection have been reported in Korea and Japan in 2012, and recently, SFTS infection cases have been reported in Taiwan and Vietnam.
SFTS virus (SFTSV) is a febrile hemorrhagic disease caused by tick-mediated new infectious disease.
It is a febrile viral disease mainly caused by true ticks and occurs nationwide from spring to autumn.
Although some patients still have a high fatality rate, infection prevention and transmission management are very important because there are no established treatments or vaccines so far.
▌Discovery
In 2009, a number of patients with high fever, digestive symptoms, and leukocytosis with platelet reduction occurred in Hebei, central China, and rural Henan Province, and SFTS Bunyavirus, a member of RNA virus, was first discovered through two years of epidemiological investigation and pathogen research.
Since then, cases of infection have been reported in Korea and Japan in 2012, and recently, SFTS infection cases have been reported in Taiwan and Vietnam.
▌Infections
It is believed to be infected by the bite of a small cow's tick (or a small cow's tick) that lives mainly in the grasslands of mountains and fields, often reported in the media as a murderous tick.
It is believed that a small Sophie mite (haemaphysalis longicornis) bites a person and infects the virus.
The path of transmission between people has not yet been accurately identified, but risk factors are mainly contact with patients with severe or death and exposure to the patient's blood or body fluids. It is believed that human-to-human transmission is possible due to exposure to blood, body fluids, respiratory and digestive secretions of SFTS patients, and there are cases of suspected infection through livestock, dogs, and cats infected with SFTSV
Airborne transmission caution is required, especially if aerosol is likely to occur during treatment or treatment of severely ill patients, and secondary infections of medical workers who contacted SFTS patients continue to be reported. SFTS takes more than hours to check the results.
In particular, severe SFTS patients or deceased patients are likely to maintain high concentrations of viruses in their blood or body fluids, requiring more caution and infection control not only for medical staff but also for families and all people in contact to prevent secondary infections.
It is believed to be infected by the bite of a small cow's tick (or a small cow's tick) that lives mainly in the grasslands of mountains and fields, often reported in the media as a murderous tick.
It is believed that a small Sophie mite (haemaphysalis longicornis) bites a person and infects the virus.
The path of transmission between people has not yet been accurately identified, but risk factors are mainly contact with patients with severe or death and exposure to the patient's blood or body fluids. It is believed that human-to-human transmission is possible due to exposure to blood, body fluids, respiratory and digestive secretions of SFTS patients, and there are cases of suspected infection through livestock, dogs, and cats infected with SFTSV
Airborne transmission caution is required, especially if aerosol is likely to occur during treatment or treatment of severely ill patients, and secondary infections of medical workers who contacted SFTS patients continue to be reported. SFTS takes more than hours to check the results.
In particular, severe SFTS patients or deceased patients are likely to maintain high concentrations of viruses in their blood or body fluids, requiring more caution and infection control not only for medical staff but also for families and all people in contact to prevent secondary infections.
▌Symptoms
After being bitten by a small Sophie Cham tick (or a small cow's Cham tick) infected with the severe febrile thrombocytopenia syndrome virus, the high fever (up to 38 to 40°C) lasts for more than 1 to 3 days after the incubation period of 1 to 2 weeks. At this time, blood tests often confirm that the patient's platelets are reduced and that the white blood cell count is also reduced. Digestive symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea appear, and the lymph nodes may continue for more than a week or two. Multiple organ failure (reduced kidney function, decreased blood pressure, etc.) or neurological symptoms (dizziness, delirium, headache, seizures, etc.) may occur, and in severe cases, it is a serious disease with a high mortality rate
▌ Diagnosis and inspection
The diagnosis of severe febrile thrombocytopenia syndrome is confirmed by isolating viruses from patient samples (such as serum) or detecting genes. The patient's blood test results show thrombocytopenia, leukocyte reduction, serum electrolyte abnormalities (hyponatremia, hypocalcemia), serum enzyme abnormalities (AST, ALT, LDH, CK elevated), and urine abnormalities (proteinuria, hematuria).
▌ Vaccination and preventive therapy
No chemical prophylactic therapy or vaccine has been established so far after SFTS exposure. If you are directly exposed to the patient's blood or are at high risk of SFTS infection due to needle damage, you may consider taking prophylactic oral ribavirin or human monoclonal antibody. Research is underway to develop a vaccine, but there are no clinical trials in humans yet, and research on SFTSV DNA vaccines and inactivated live vaccines is underway.
After being bitten by a small Sophie Cham tick (or a small cow's Cham tick) infected with the severe febrile thrombocytopenia syndrome virus, the high fever (up to 38 to 40°C) lasts for more than 1 to 3 days after the incubation period of 1 to 2 weeks. At this time, blood tests often confirm that the patient's platelets are reduced and that the white blood cell count is also reduced. Digestive symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea appear, and the lymph nodes may continue for more than a week or two. Multiple organ failure (reduced kidney function, decreased blood pressure, etc.) or neurological symptoms (dizziness, delirium, headache, seizures, etc.) may occur, and in severe cases, it is a serious disease with a high mortality rate
▌ Diagnosis and inspection
The diagnosis of severe febrile thrombocytopenia syndrome is confirmed by isolating viruses from patient samples (such as serum) or detecting genes. The patient's blood test results show thrombocytopenia, leukocyte reduction, serum electrolyte abnormalities (hyponatremia, hypocalcemia), serum enzyme abnormalities (AST, ALT, LDH, CK elevated), and urine abnormalities (proteinuria, hematuria).
▌ Vaccination and preventive therapy
No chemical prophylactic therapy or vaccine has been established so far after SFTS exposure. If you are directly exposed to the patient's blood or are at high risk of SFTS infection due to needle damage, you may consider taking prophylactic oral ribavirin or human monoclonal antibody. Research is underway to develop a vaccine, but there are no clinical trials in humans yet, and research on SFTSV DNA vaccines and inactivated live vaccines is underway.
▌Treatment
Severe febrile thrombocytopenia syndrome has severe clinical symptoms, but it is best to be hospitalized and receive conservative treatment according to the symptoms as specific antiviral drugs have not yet been developed.
▌Treatment-drug therapy
Since there is no cure for severe febrile thrombocytopenia syndrome, the best treatment should be performed according to the situation, such as preservative treatment, i.e., fluid if dehydration is severe, blood pressure increase injection if blood pressure drops, and dialysis if kidney failure occurs.
▌Complication
Despite the best treatment, 10-30% of patients infected with severe febrile thrombocytopenia syndrome die. Therefore, in principle, if you are infected, you must be hospitalized with a professional medical staff for treatment.
Severe febrile thrombocytopenia syndrome has severe clinical symptoms, but it is best to be hospitalized and receive conservative treatment according to the symptoms as specific antiviral drugs have not yet been developed.
▌Treatment-drug therapy
Since there is no cure for severe febrile thrombocytopenia syndrome, the best treatment should be performed according to the situation, such as preservative treatment, i.e., fluid if dehydration is severe, blood pressure increase injection if blood pressure drops, and dialysis if kidney failure occurs.
▌Complication
Despite the best treatment, 10-30% of patients infected with severe febrile thrombocytopenia syndrome die. Therefore, in principle, if you are infected, you must be hospitalized with a professional medical staff for treatment.