Co-infection with Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus and Rickettsia japonica after Tick Bite, Japan

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 27; no. 4; pp. 1247 - 1249
• Main Authors: Fujikawa, Tatsuya, Yoshikawa, Tomoki, Kurosu, Takeshi, Shimojima, Masayuki, Saijo, Masayuki, Yokota, Kyoko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.04.2021; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: after Tick Bite, Japan; Analysis; Arachnids; Causes of; co-infection; Co-infection with Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus and; Comorbidity; Complications and side effects; Diagnosis; Fever; Hospitals; Infections; Internal medicine; Japanese spotted fever; Laboratories; Patients; R&D; Research & development; Research Letter; rickettsia; Rickettsial diseases; severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome; severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus; Skin; Thrombocytopenia; Tick-borne diseases; tickborne infectious diseases; Japan; Singapore; severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome; rickettsia; viruses; vector-borne infections; bacteria; co-infection; Japanese spotted fever; Japan; Rickettsia japonica; severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus; tickborne infectious diseases
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid2704.203610

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome was diagnosed in a febrile woman in Japan after a tick bite. However, Rickettsia japonica DNA was retrospectively detected in the eschar specimen, suggesting co-infection from the bite. Establishment of the severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus infection might have overpowered the R. japonica infection.