New virus discovered in China – is it an indication that tick-borne diseases are on the rise?

Ticks are accountable for the spread. 25 Human and Animal Diseases. While you might be acquainted with a few of them – like Lyme disease – there are a lot of others you've probably never heard of, a few of which have only been discovered in the previous couple of years, e.g. that wetland virus.

In one A new case studyResearchers in China have published details concerning the wetland virus. It was first identified in 2019, when a patient bitten by a tick while visiting a wetland park in Inner Mongolia was hospitalized with symptoms of fever, headache and vomiting. that had progressed to multiple organ failure.

To understand the reason behind the patient's illness, the researchers sequenced the genetic material extracted from the blood sample to discover the virus accountable for the illness. They found a previously unknown virus – an in depth relative of other tick-borne viruses, including the harmful Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus – wherein Mortality rate 30%. Wetlandvirus is a member of the genus within the family.

The research team then screened other patients from northeastern China who developed severe fever inside a month of a tick bite. This led them to discover 17 more cases of Wetland Virus infection – confirming that the virus was well established within the region.

Next, the team conducted a large-scale environmental survey to grasp the source of the wetland virus. They checked out ticks in addition to livestock and wild animals living in the world, as animals often play a crucial role within the spread of tick-borne pathogens. They found that some sheep, pigs and horses were infected, suggesting that cattle could also be reservoirs of wetland viruses.

So far, wetland virus has been found only in northeastern China. However, the tick species involved in its transmission have a really wide distribution. Europe and Asiaso the virus is prone to have spread further. Tick ​​and livestock surveys, and even patients with unexplained fever, can confirm this elsewhere in Asia and Europe.

Tick-borne diseases

So why will we appear to be getting so many recent tick-borne diseases today?

Firstly, many tick-borne diseases have non-specific symptoms eg Fever, headache and fatigueeasily mistaking them for other common ailments. Additionally, tick-borne diseases are usually not contagious, so dramatic outbreaks similar to COVID or the flu don’t occur.

Together, these characteristics make it very difficult to detect a tick-borne disease in the primary place. However, recent genetic sequencing techniques, used to discover wetland viruses, have been developed. New pathogens are easy to detect..

Second, even when a brand new pathogen is detected in a patient, linking it to ticks shouldn’t be at all times straightforward. Many people take a bite out of pieces without knowing it.

Unopened ticks are small and sometimes attach to our skin in places which might be difficult to examine, similar to the backs of our legs. Also, we don't “feel” a tick bite like, say, a mosquito bite. Many patients with tick-borne illness haven’t any memory of being bitten.

Also, for a lot of tick-borne diseases, the onset of symptoms could be delayed, so linking them to a tick bite shouldn’t be an obvious step. For example, symptoms of Lyme disease are common. Three to ten weeks after cutting.

Third, medical awareness of tick-borne diseases – especially those which might be emerging or rare – is poor and, in lots of parts of the world, resources are needed to diagnose them. Often there aren't.

This paucity reflects the proven fact that most tick-borne pathogens have been described relatively recently. Even the reason behind Lyme disease shouldn’t be understood Early 1980s. So the scientific and medical understanding of tick-borne diseases remains to be nowhere near because it is for a lot of other infectious diseases.

These aspects make it difficult to find out whether tick-borne diseases are truly present. On the riseor will we just need to enhance monitoring and evaluation.

In addition to discovering recent tick-borne diseases, we’re also seeing the distribution of tick-borne diseases changing. There are several the reason why this is occurring. Climate change.

Tick ​​is strongly affected by activity. Temperature And humidityso changes in climate can affect when ticks are lively and create conditions that allow ticks to flourish in areas that weren’t. The former was suitable for them..

May be with him. Tick-borne encephalitis virus. The virus has historically only been seen in certain areas. Asia and Central and Eastern Europebut recently cases have been reported. The Netherlands and the United Kingdomwhich pertains to what we previously assumed was the UK climate. Not suitable for this virus..

In temperate parts of the northern hemisphere, Lyme disease is by far probably the most common. Tick-borne disease. However, other diseases are increasingly being reported. Human anaplasmosis is becoming common within the United States, and cases of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever are increasing. Southern and Eastern Europe.

To protect yourself from tick-borne diseases, it’s best to wear long pants and use insect repellent spray when mountain climbing and camping in grassy and wooded areas. When you get home, give yourself (and your dog) check.

If you’re bitten, as soon as possible Carefully remove the tick To prevent the tick's mouthparts from getting stuck in your skin. If you progress. Rash, fever or flu-like symptomsGo to your GP and tell them concerning the bite.