'TICK-BORNE VIRUS' KILLS SEVEN, INFECTS SIXTY IN CHINA: VIROLOGISTS SAY NOT TO PANIC

China becomes the official hub of new viruses with the discovery of another deadly virus which is believed to be transmitted primarily from a tick bite. The disease is infectious and it has already had seven people dead and has infected sixty others as official media reported in China on Wednesday, 5th of August, warning residents about its chances of human to human transmission. 

The SFTS virus, however, is not new. An old US study stated that a collaboration based global approach against SFTSV infection is being undertaken however the basic need for a consistent lookout for diseases and the production of an effective vaccine is extremely important at the moment. 

For this tick-borne virus infection to be noticed, the symptoms are untimely cold and fever, partly like in Coronavirus. Though doctors said that there need not be over panic regarding this new virus, it is needless to tell that the virus is spreading in parts of China through mucous and blood. A woman, who was found infected with the same, was having a shortage of leukocytes or blood platelets. She was admitted to the hospital for a month for her treatment.

Anhui and East China's Zhejiang province mark the death of seven people due to the virus, the report from the Chinese daily Global Times stated. More than 37 people in East China's Jiangsu province contracted with SFTSV in the first half of the year. Later 23 people were found infected in Anhui province of East China. 

Sheng Jiang, a doctor from the first affiliated hospital under Zhejiang University said that the possibility of person to person transmission is there and that tick bite is the major transmission route. People need to be cautious, and doctors also said there was no need for over panic over such contagion.

Also, migratory birds are known to be transmitters of such viruses due to long-distance travel to collect food and also because they carry ticks.