Unusual case of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome showing clinical manifestations in a companion dog

Abstract

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus is an emerging zoonotic virus in East Asia. However, SFTS virus (SFTSV) has not been reported to cause clinical infection in companion dogs to date. We report the case of a 4-year-old companion dog that presented with fever, vomiting, leukocytopenia and thrombocytopenia at a veterinary hospital in the Republic of Korea. It was diagnosed with SFTS, which was confirmed using real-time reverse transcription PCR, sequencing and an indirect immunofluorescence assay, and recovered after supportive care. Further studies are required to investigate SFTSV infection in companion animals, living in close contact with humans, as well as animal-to-human transmission.