Whilethe world continues to grapple with the novel coronavirus with India emergingthe biggest hotspot, a new virus -- tick-borne virus -- has marked its presencein China. Coronavirus outbreak had originated in China last year.
The newviral infection has killed seven people in China, infecting more than 60 othersin East China's Jiangsu and Anhui provinces. It has set off alarm bells amongthe health officials in the country and across the world.
Thedisease is infectious and caused by a tick-borne virus (TBV).
Ticksare known to carry 83 viruses. The disease caused by the tick-borne virus iscalled Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) and the virus hasbeen identified as the novel bunyavirus.
Accordingto a report published in the Global Times, a mouthpiece of the Communist Partyof China (CPC), SFTS is a "new epidemic disease of natural origin".
Ininitial reports, the deaths caused by SFTS were attributed to dengue, anotherviral disease that spreads through a mosquito bite.
However,the local health commission of Lu'an later confirmed that the deaths happeneddue to Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, caused by a tick-bornevirus -- novel bunyavirus.
Whilethe virus is transferred to humans through tick bites, the health officials inChina have warned of possible human-to-human transmissions.
WHAT ARETICKS?
Ticksare blood-sucking bugs, living by feeding on the blood of mammals, birds, andsometimes reptiles and amphibians. They are mostly found in bushes, grass andshrubs. The eight-legged bugs are arachnids -- related to spiders.
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Accordingto the WHO, ticks are vectors of a large number of diseases including relapsingfever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Q fever and Lyme disease.
Ticksare most active during summers.
Funfact: Adult ticks live for several years. In the absence of a blood-meal, whichticks need in order to proceed to the next stage of the life cycle, ticks cansurvive several years of starvation.