Clin Exp Vaccine Res.  2018 Jan;7(1):43-50. 10.7774/cevr.2018.7.1.43.

Epidemiology of severe fever and thrombocytopenia syndrome virus infection and the need for therapeutics for the prevention

• Robles NJ
• Han HJ
• Park SJ
• Choi YK

• KMID: 2402537
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7774/cevr.2018.7.1.43

Abstract

Over the past ten years there has been a marked increase in cases of severe fever and thrombocytopenia syndrome in East Asia. This tick-borne hemorrhagic fever presents along with clinical signs including high fever and leukopenia. In addition to humans, the virus has also been detected with shared genetic homology in farm animals including goats, cattle, horses, and pigs. Furthermore, several genotypes of severe fever and thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) are currently co-circulating between humans and animals. In China, where the virus was first detected in rural areas in 2009, the SFTSV mortality rate has been reported to be as 6% and higher than 30%, especially in immuno-compromised patients. Moreover, this virus has been isolated in neighbor countries including Japan and South Korea where the fatality rates in 2015 were more than 30% in both countries. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the virology, genotypes, pathogenesis, and epidemiology of SFTSV infection in humans and animals. Currently, a collaborative global approach against SFTSV infection is being undertaken; however, the need for continuous disease surveillance and production of an effective vaccine is imperative as this virus may lead to an epidemic of irreversible status in both humans and animals.

Keyword

SFTS Virus; Humans and animals; Vaccine production

MeSH Terms

Animals
Animals, Domestic
Cattle
China
Epidemiology*
Far East
Fever*
Genotype
Goats
Horses
Humans
Japan
Korea
Leukopenia
Mortality
Swine
Thrombocytopenia*
Virology

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Genetic composition of severe fever and thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) and genetic diversity. (A) SFTSV has three segmented RNA genomes (L, M, S). L and M segments have one open reading frame with negative sense polarity. However, S segment has ambisense RNA encoding two viral proteins, the nonstructural proteins (NSs) and N proteins. (B) To date, A to F genotypes of SFTSVs were reported. Of these, genotype A, D, and F were the most commonly observed in mainland China. Genotypes B, D, and F were co-circulating in South Korea and genotype B was the most prevalent strain in Japan. Due to the segmented nature of SFTSV, genetic reassortments which occurred resulted in unique genotypes. RdRp, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.

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