Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome

Abstract

This book presents the latest knowledge on all aspects of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), an emerging infectious disease endemic to China, South Korea, and Japan that is caused by a bunyavirus first discovered in 2011, widely referred to as SFTS virus (SFTSV) though recently renamed Huaiyangshan banyangvirus. The contents will be of interest for the light that they cast on not only this viral infection but viral hemorrhagic fevers in general. The opening chapters summarize general considerations and perspectives regarding SFTS and describe the discovery process in each of the affected countries. The basic mechanism of SFTSV infection is then examined from the perspectives of epidemiology, pathology, and virology. The book goes on to examine in detail the mode of spread and transmission of SFTSV, means of infection control, and diagnosis and therapy. The final two chapters explore Heartland virus infections and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever with the aim of highlighting similarities and differences compared with SFTS. This book will be of interest to all researchers who study emerging viruses and infections, whether in Asia or elsewhere, as well as to clinicians who may encounter SFTS.