After getting the Oz virus in the eastern Ibaraki province, north of Tokyo, a Japanese woman in her 70s, who died after 26 days of hospital treatment, became the world’s first victim of a tick-borne ailment, authorities announced on Friday.
According to Tokyo-based Kyodo News, this is the first mortality associated with the possible tick-borne sickness to be documented worldwide.
The woman, who had symptoms like a fever and exhaustion, sought medical assistance in the summer of 2022, according to the provincial administration and the Health Ministry of Japan.
All about world’s first death case from Oz virus
The woman, who had no prior international travel history, reportedly attended a hospital last summer with symptoms including fever, exhaustion and joint pain.
She was given antibiotics after being diagnosed with pneumonia, but after her symptoms exacerbated, she had to be admitted to the Tsukuba Medical Centre.
A hard tick was discovered sucking blood at the base of her right thigh when she was admitted to hospital. About a month later, she passed away from myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart.
In the western Japanese region of Ehime, the Amblyomma testudinarium tick species was where the Oz virus was originally discovered in 2018. Due to its widespread observation across the nation, it’s thought that this tick species is the source of the virus’ transmission.
The ticks, which have hard scales and a size range of 3-4 mm are distinct from the indoor ticks and are typically found in shrubs and forests.
According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) in Tokyo, there’s no vaccination available against the Oz virus, which has not been discovered outside of Japan.
According to the institute, contracting the virus does not always result in death, but additional research on its signs and risks is required.
Japan’s Health Ministry on Oz virus
According to the ministry, the Oz virus has not been discovered outside of Japan thus far.
It’s difficult to assess the virus’ severity or danger at this time, according to Tadaki Suzuki, an infectious pathology specialist at the NIID, as this is the first documented fatal case.
According to the ministry, the best preventative measure for people is to keep their skin covered while in regions where they might come in touch with hard ticks.
It suggests wearing long sleeves and long trousers when near bushes to prevent getting attacked by insects, especially from spring through autumn when they are most active.
The ministry advised if anyone has tick bites, they must see a doctor rather than attempting to remove them themselves.
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