The National Institute of Infectious Diseases recently announced the first confirmed case of human-to-human transmission of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS), a viral infection disease transmitted by ticks, in Japan.

Usually, SFTS was thought to be transmitted only through tick bites, but this new finding enables a deeper understanding of the virus’s transmission. SFTS can potentially cause symptoms such as high fever, chills, and extreme weakness.

After being bitten by a tick, you may feel redness, itching, and pain in your skin. However, these symptoms may not appear immediately in some cases, so it’s important to quickly determine whether you’ve been bitten by a tick and receive appropriate treatment.

Furthermore, it has been clarified that after an infected person develops symptoms, the virus can be transmitted from person to person through their blood and bodily fluids. Therefore, it’s strongly recommended to avoid direct contact with infected individuals or those suspected of being infected, and to maintain personal hygiene as much as possible. As a safety measure, it’s important to wear long sleeves and long pants when outdoors to avoid exposed skin, and to check your whole body and remove any remaining ticks after your activities.

With this announcement, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases pledged to continue alerting people to infectious diseases and to further investigate and research the SFTS virus. By thorough health management, taking appropriate measures, and intervening in medical treatment early, the impact of this infectious disease can be minimized.