A case of tick-borne Yezo virus infection: Concurrent detection in the patient and tick

• Published in: International journal of infectious diseases Vol. 143; p. 107038
• Main Authors: Ogata, Yusuke, Sato, Tasuku, Kato, Kanji, Kikuchi, Kazuhiro, Mitsuhashi, Kazuya, Watari, Kei, Tamiya, Kazuma, Goto, Akiko, Yamaguchi, Hiroki, Hisada, Ryo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canada Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Animals; Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne - isolation & purification; Female; Hokkaido; Humans; Ixodes - virology; Ixodes persulcatus; Thrombocytopenia - diagnosis; Thrombocytopenia - virology; Tick Bites - complications; Tick-borne diseases; Tick-Borne Diseases - diagnosis; Tick-Borne Diseases - virology; Yezo virus; Yezo virus; Hokkaido; Ixodes persulcatus; Tick-borne diseases
• ISSN: 1201-9712; 1878-3511; 1878-3511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107038

•Yezo virus (YEZV) is a new nairovirus identified in Hokkaido, Japan, in 2019.•First simultaneous detection of YEZV gene in the patient and tick.•This case supports the hypothesis that YEZV is a tick-borne pathogen. A 76-year-old woman infected with Yezo virus (YEZV) developed liver dysfunction and thrombocytopenia following a tick bite. Despite the severity of her elevated liver enzymes and reduced platelet counts, the patient's condition improved spontaneously without any specific treatment. To our knowledge, this represents the first documented case where the YEZV genome was detected simultaneously in a patient's serum and the tick (Ixodes persulcatus) that bit the patient. This dual detection not only supports the hypothesis that YEZV is a tick-borne pathogen but also underscores the importance of awareness and diagnostic readiness for emerging tick-borne diseases, particularly in regions where these ticks are prevalent.