Hedgehogs as Amplifying Hosts of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus, China

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Abstract

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a tickborne bandavirus mainly transmitted by Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks in East Asia, mostly in rural areas. As of April 2022, the amplifying host involved in the natural transmission of SFTSV remained unidentified. Our epidemiologic field survey conducted in endemic areas in China showed that hedgehogs were widely distributed, had heavy tick infestations, and had high SFTSV seroprevalence and RNA prevalence. After experimental infection of Erinaceus amurensis and Atelerix albiventris hedgehogs with SFTSV, we detected robust but transitory viremias that lasted for 9–11 days. We completed the SFTSV transmission cycle between hedgehogs and nymph and adult H. longicornis ticks under laboratory conditions with 100% efficiency. Furthermore, naive H. longicornis ticks could be infected by SFTSV-positive ticks co-feeding on naive hedgehogs; we confirmed transstadial transmission of SFTSV. Our study suggests that the hedgehogs are a notable wildlife amplifying host of SFTSV in China.

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Fever with thrombocytopenia associated with a novel bunyavirus in China.

Xue-Jie Yu, Mi-Fang Liang, Shou-Yin Zhang … (2011)

Heightened surveillance of acute febrile illness in China since 2009 has led to the identification of a severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) with an unknown cause. Infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum has been suggested as a cause, but the pathogen has not been detected in most patients on laboratory testing. We obtained blood samples from patients with the case definition of SFTS in six provinces in China. The blood samples were used to isolate the causal pathogen by inoculation of cell culture and for detection of viral RNA on polymerase-chain-reaction assay. The pathogen was characterized on electron microscopy and nucleic acid sequencing. We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, indirect immunofluorescence assay, and neutralization testing to analyze the level of virus-specific antibody in patients' serum samples. We isolated a novel virus, designated SFTS bunyavirus, from patients who presented with fever, thrombocytopenia, leukocytopenia, and multiorgan dysfunction. RNA sequence analysis revealed that the virus was a newly identified member of the genus phlebovirus in the Bunyaviridae family. Electron-microscopical examination revealed virions with the morphologic characteristics of a bunyavirus. The presence of the virus was confirmed in 171 patients with SFTS from six provinces by detection of viral RNA, specific antibodies to the virus in blood, or both. Serologic assays showed a virus-specific immune response in all 35 pairs of serum samples collected from patients during the acute and convalescent phases of the illness. A novel phlebovirus was identified in patients with a life-threatening illness associated with fever and thrombocytopenia in China. (Funded by the China Mega-Project for Infectious Diseases and others.).

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The First Identification and Retrospective Study of Severe Fever With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome in Japan

Toru Takahashi, Ken MAEDA, Tadaki Suzuki … (2014)

Abstract Background. Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is caused by SFTS virus (SFTSV), a novel bunyavirus reported to be endemic in central and northeastern China. This article describes the first identified patient with SFTS and a retrospective study on SFTS in Japan. Methods. Virologic and pathologic examinations were performed on the patient's samples. Laboratory diagnosis of SFTS was made by isolation/genome amplification and/or the detection of anti-SFTSV immunoglobulin G antibody in sera. Physicians were alerted to the initial diagnosis and asked whether they had previously treated patients with symptoms similar to those of SFTS. Results. A female patient who died in 2012 received a diagnosis of SFTS. Ten additional patients with SFTS were then retrospectively identified. All patients were aged ≥50 years and lived in western Japan. Six cases were fatal. The ratio of males to females was 8:3. SFTSV was isolated from 8 patients. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that all of the Japanese SFTSV isolates formed a genotype independent to those from China. Most patients showed symptoms due to hemorrhage, possibly because of disseminated intravascular coagulation and/or hemophagocytosis. Conclusions. SFTS has been endemic to Japan, and SFTSV has been circulating naturally within the country.

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Endemic Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, Vietnam

Xuan Tran, Yeojun Yun, Le Van An … (2019)

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), a tickborne viral disease, has been identified in China, South Korea, and Japan since 2009. We found retrospective evidence of SFTS virus (SFTSV) infection in Vietnam, which suggests that SFTSV infections also occur in Vietnam, where the virus has not been known to be endemic.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Emerg Infect Dis

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Emerg Infect Dis

Journal ID (publisher-id): EID

Title: Emerging Infectious Diseases

Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

ISSN (Print): 1080-6040

ISSN (Electronic): 1080-6059

Publication date (Print): December 2022

Volume: 28

Issue: 12

Pages: 2491-2499

Affiliations

[1]CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China (C. Zhao, X. Zhang, A. Zheng);

[2]State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (C. Zhao, F. Yuan, A. Zheng);

[3]College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China (X. Si);

[4]Daishan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhoushan, Zhejiang, China (L. Ye);

[5]Massey University School of Veterinary Science, Palmerston North, New Zealand (K. Lawrence);

[6]Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, School of Tropical Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China (Y. Lu, Q. Xia);

[7]Yunnan Institute of Endemic Diseases Control and Prevention, Yunnan, China (C. Du);

[8]Shaozhuang Primary School, Weifang, China (H. Xu);

[9]Department of Infectious Disease, Yidu Central Hospital of Weifang, Weifang, Shandong, China (Q. Yang);

[10]Changdao National Nature Reserve Management Center, Yantai, Shandong, China (G. Yu);

[11]Xinyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xinyang, Henan, China (W. Xu);

[12]Core Facility for Protein Research, Institute of Biophysics Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (J. Hao);

[13]State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing (J. Jiang)

Author notes

Address for correspondence: Aihua Zheng, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Rd, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China; email: zhengaihua@ 123456ioz.ac.cn ; Jiafu Jiang, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, China, Department of Epidemiology, No. 20, Dongda Str. Fengtai Dis. Beijing 100071 China; email: jiangjf2008@ 123456gmail.com ; Junfeng Hao, Institute of Biophysics Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China; email: haojf@ 123456ibp.ac.cn

Article

Publisher ID: 22-0668

DOI: 10.3201/eid2812.220668

PMC ID: 9707592

PubMed ID: 36417938

SO-VID: 335692bd-e4d1-4773-8982-d048f5c7a28a

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Emerging Infectious Diseases is a publication of the U.S. Government. This publication is in the public domain and is therefore without copyright. All text from this work may be reprinted freely. Use of these materials should be properly cited.

Hedgehogs as Amplifying Hosts of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus, China

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China Tropical Medicine

Most cited references 44

Fever with thrombocytopenia associated with a novel bunyavirus in China.

The First Identification and Retrospective Study of Severe Fever With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome in Japan

Endemic Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, Vietnam

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