Direct Transmission of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus from Domestic Cat to Veterinary Personnel
Atsushi Yamanaka, Yumi Kirino, Sho FUJIMOTO, Naoyasu Ueda, Daisuke Himeji, Miho Miura, Putu Eka Sudaryatma, Yukiko Sato, Hidenori Tanaka, Hirohisa Mekata, Tamaki Okabayashi
Abstract
S evere fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is caused by the species Dabie bandavirus (family Phenuiviridae, genus Bandavirus), generally called severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) (1,2). Cases of SFTS were identified in patients in China during 2009 (3) and subsequently in Japan and South Korea (2,4). Clinical signs include high fever, fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms, neurologic symptoms, thrombocytopenia, leukocytopenia, and multiorgan failure (5). SFTS is potentially fatal, and mortality rates have reached 27% in Japan (6). Although the clinical information regarding SFTS in most animals is unclear, cats show fatal symptoms similar to those in humans (7). Enzootic SFTSV transmission is primarily tickborne; tick bites can also spread the virus to humans (8) and animals (9). Human-to-human transmission occurs rarely through contact with infected blood, body fluids, or mucus (10) and possibly by aerosols In this study, we provide evidence for the direct cat-to-human transmission of the virus, leading to a nosocomial outbreak of SFTSV infection.