An emerging hemorrhagic fever in China caused by a novel bunyavirus SFTSV.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging hemorrhagic fever in rural areas of China and is caused by a new bunyavirus, SFTSV, named after the disease. The transmission vectors and animal hosts of SFTSV are unclear. Ticks are the most likely transmission vectors and domestic animals, including goats, dogs, and cattle, are potential amplifying hosts of SFTSV. The clinical symptoms of SFTS are nonspecific, but major symptoms include fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, myalgia, dizziness, joint pain, chills, and regional lymphadenopathy. The most common abnormalities in laboratory test results are thrombocytopenia (95%), leukocytopenia (86%), and elevated levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase. The fatality rate for SFTS is 12% on average, and the annual incidence of the disease is approximately five per 100000 of the rural population.