Current Affairs Brain Booster for UPSC & State PCS Examination (Topic: Tick-borne Virus)

Current Affairs Brain Booster for UPSC & State PCS Examination

Tick-borne Virus

A disease called ‘Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome’ (SFTS), caused by the tick-borne virus, has killed more than seven and infected at least 60, setting off alarm bells among health officials in China.

Ticks are known to carry 83 viruses. The disease caused by the tick-borne virus is called SFTS and the virus has been identified as the novel bunyavirus.
According to a report published in the Global Times, SFTS is a "new epidemic disease of natural origin".
In initial reports, the deaths caused by SFTS were attributed to dengue, another viral disease that spreads through a mosquito bite.
While the virus is transferred to humans through tick bites, the health officials in China have warned of possible human-to-human transmissions.
In order to avoid contracting the illness, various government authorities, including China’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), urges the general public to avoid wearing shorts while walking through tall grass, the woods, and any other environment where ticks are likely to thrive.

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control says the novel bunyavirus has a fatality rate of about 10 per cent. Common symptoms of the virus include fever, fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, and decreased appetite.
It can lead to multiple organ failure and death.
The virus was first discovered in China’s central Henan and eastern Anhui provinces in 2009.
There is no known vaccine or medications that can target the virus.
The re-emergence of the novel bunyavirus comes after the novel coronavirus was discovered in China late last year.
The virus eventually travelled to other East Asian nations, including Japan and South Korea. Since the virus was first discovered, the total number of cases has risen significantly.
While in 2013, as many as 36 cases were reported in South Korea, the number rose sharply to 270 by 2017. Meanwhile, China registered 71 cases in 2010 and 2,600 in 2016. The number of infections reported in Japan increased by 50 per cent between 2016 and 2017

Some of the early warning signs of the disease include severe fever, thrombocytopenia or low platelet count and leukocytopenia, which is low white blood cell count. The risk factors observed in more serious cases include multi-organ failure, hemorrhagic manifestation and the appearance of central nervous system (CNS) symptoms.
Due to the rate at which it spreads and its high fatality rate, SFTS has been listed among the top 10 priority diseases blue print by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Virologists believe an Asian tick called Haemaphysalis longicornis is the primary vector, or carrier, of the virus. The disease is known to spread between March and November. Researchers have found that the total number of infections generally peaks between April and July.
According to a study conducted by a team of Chinese researchers in 2011, the incubation period is anywhere between seven and 13 days after the onset of the illness.
Farmers, hunters and pet owners are particularly vulnerable to the disease as they regularly come in contact with animals that may carry the Haemaphysalis longicornis tick.
Scientists have found that the virus is often transmitted to humans from animals like goats, cattle, deer and sheep.
Despite being infected by the virus, animals generally do not show any symptoms associated with SFTSV.