A elderly man diagnosed with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) was the third locally acquired case since the tick-borne infectious disease was first reported in Taiwan in 2019, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
The man, in his 70s, lives in northern Taiwan, did not travel abroad recently and usually stayed near his home, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said.
He began experiencing extreme fatigue late last month and was rushed to a hospital for emergency treatment. He had a fever and thrombocytopenia, or low platelet count, and further tests confirmed his diagnosis as SFTS on March 2, Guo said.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
The first SFTS in Taiwan was detected in 2019 and the second in 2022, he said, adding that SFTS was listed as a category 4 notifiable communicable disease in 2020.
SFTS was first identified in China in 2009, and it has been spreading in East Asia since then, he said.
China reported about 3,000 to 5,000 cases per year, with the number of cases reaching 5,060 in 2023, and the disease spreading in 27 Chinese provinces, Guo said.
In South Korea, SFTS incidence has increased slightly in the past few years, with 280 cases reported last year, he said.
A study found that the Haemaphysalis tick species, the main vector of the SFTS virus, can be active all year round in South Korea, so the increase in human SFTS prevalence is associated with the ticks’ increased infection rate, he said.
Japan has also seen a growing trend of SFTS cases, with 191 reported last year, most of which were concentrated in the west, he said.
CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said the medical record of the latest case in Taiwan showed that the man has cardiovascular disease and had a stroke before he was hospitalized for atypical infection.
As contact tracing found that he lives in a rural area frequented by wild animals and he often visits a vegetable garden near his home, doctors suspected his infection might be related to SFTS, which was later confirmed through a polymerase chain reaction test, Lin said.
A survey of his local environment was conducted last week, and signs of mice visiting his vegetable garden were found, but none were caught by traps, he said.
No ticks were found on the man’s pet cat and dog, and 16 ticks collected from bushes near his home tested negative for the SFTS virus, so the source of his infection is still unknown, he said.
Ticks are the main vector of the SFTS virus and are most active between April and October, he said.
People can prevent tick bites by avoiding resting on grass or in the forest for long periods, he said.
They should also avoid contact with wild animals or unknown pets, wear light-colored long sleeves and pants or other protective garment in the wilderness, use insect repellents and checking for insect bites after returning home, he added.
The general population’s risk of SFTS infection is relatively low, but infected ticks can be brought into Taiwan by migratory birds or imported animals, Guo said.
If left untreated, SFTS can have fatal consequences, so the CDC defines it as a “moderate risk,” he added.
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