Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, Japan, 2013–2017

• DOI: 10.3201/eid2604.191011
• Publication Date: 2020-03-05T17:27:06Z
• Authors: Yusuke Kobayashi; Hirofumi Kato; Takuya Yamagishi; Tomoe Shimada; Tamano Matsui; Tomoki Yoshikawa; Takeshi Kurosu; Masayuki Shimojima; Shigeru Morikawa; Hideki Hasegawa; Masayuki Saijo; Kazunori Oishi
• Keywords: Phlebovirus; severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus; Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome; companion animal; Phenuiviridae; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Bunyaviridae Infections; 03 medical and health sciences; Dogs; 0302 clinical medicine; Japan; Animals; Humans; viruses; Tick Bites; SFTS; R; Body Fluids; 3. Good health; Phlebotomus Fever; Synopsis; Cats; Medicine; epidemiology

We conducted an epidemiologic study of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in Japan during 2013-2017. Of 303 cases reported during that period, 133 (44%) were included in this study. The median time between onset of illness and diagnosis of SFTS shortened, from 11.5 to 3.0 days, but the case-fatality rate remained high, at 27%. In 64 patients (48%), a close contact with companion animals was reported within 2 weeks of disease onset. Of these 64 patients, 40 were surveyed further, and we confirmed that 3 had direct contact with body fluids of ill companion animals; 2 had direct contact with the saliva of an ill feral cat or pet dog. These patients reported no history of tick bite, suggesting that ill companion animals might be a source of SFTS virus transmission. Direct contact with the body fluids of ill companion animals should be avoided.