"Cute but Infected"…Beware of SFTS with No Vaccine or Treatment and High Fatality Rate

"Wear Long Clothes and Use Tick Repellent During Outdoor Activities"

A case of infection with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) occurred after touching a stray cat in Seogwipo City, Jeju.

On the 10th, Seogwipo City announced that a woman in her 40s, Ms. A, residing in the area, tested positive for SFTS on the 6th.

Ms. A is the first SFTS patient in Seogwipo City this year and the fifth in the province. Although she had no special outdoor activities recently, it is known that she came into contact with a stray cat four days before the SFTS diagnosis.

The Seogwipo Public Health Center is conducting an epidemiological investigation based on Ms. A's statement.

Photos before and after bloodsucking by Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks that cause Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS).
[Image provided by Jeju City]

SFTS is an infectious disease caused by bites from ticks carrying the virus, mainly occurring from April to November. Symptoms include high fever, decreased platelet count, fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

In particular, SFTS has no preventive vaccine or treatment, and has a high fatality rate, so special caution is required. According to nationwide statistics over the past three years (2020?2022), 608 SFTS patients were reported, of whom 103 died, resulting in a fatality rate of 16.9%.

The city urged the public to follow preventive measures such as wearing long clothes during outdoor activities, bathing and changing clothes after going out, and using tick repellents.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.