A new-tick borne virus has hit China, causing the death of seven people so far. Virologists believe that the infection may have been passed on to humans by ticks and that the virus can be transmitted between humans. Doctors detected a decline of leukocyte and blood platelets in a woman from Nanjing, who had suffered from symptoms of this virus, like coughing and fever. More than 37 people in East China’s Jiangsu province contracted this virus in the first half of the year.
The Chinese government has warned the possibility of human-to-human transmission for this virus that has affected more than 70 people so far. A tick bite is the major transmission route, but this virus can be passed to others via the blood or mucous of infected patients. It has been dubbed as the Bunyavirus and goes by SFTS (expanded as Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Bunyavirus) virologically. Notably, this is not a new virus since the Chinese government had isolated its pathogen back in 2011.
A previous US study has stated that in case of an unmonitored outbreak, this virus may lead to an epidemic of irreversible status in both humans and animals.
As the world is already grappling with the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, the news of this new virus has started striking fear in the minds of people worldwide.