Scientists in China have identified a previously unknown that can cause flu-like illness, fatigue and gastrointestinal symptoms, according to a new study
The newly discovered virus, the Asian longhorned tick nairovirus (ALTNV), which is part of the orthonairovirus group, has also been found to cause thrombocytopenia (reduced blood platelet counts) and laboratory evidence of liver-cell injury or inflammation
Since 2009, Chinese researchers have been tracking patients with unusual illnesses, including severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), according to Dr Sharon Nachman, chief of at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital in New York.
"Thrombocytopenia is low platelet count, so those patients bled, and it had about a 30% mortality, which is quite high," she told Fox News Digital "So, they kept following those patients."
Many of the cases were linked to Dabie bandavirus (DBV), a but it was not the most common virus
After extensive testing of blood samples and viral fragments, researchers identified the new virus, ALTNV, which is genetically distinct from DBV
Researchers from the State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity in Beijing identified the virus in 104% of 3,163 patients who had been bitten by ticks.
Patients who had both ALTNV and DBV were more likely to have and kidney complications Seven (18.4%) of these patients died during the course of the study.
"The cocirculation of ALTNV and DBV in the same areas, coupled with their shared tick vector, underscores the need for improved differential diagnosis between infections with these viruses in regions where SFTS is endemic," the authors concluded
The findings were published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine
"The big picture is that ," Nachman said "We're getting smarter at identifying those viruses. And when one blood sample is negative, it's important to say, 'Maybe there was a new virus there, and let's look for it.'"
Illness from ALTNV can initially resemble the flu, causing fever, muscle aches, fatigue and sometimes respiratory symptoms
Although an ALTNV infection can cause low platelet counts, the study did not link the virus alone to severe bleeding or deaths The fatal cases involved patients who were also infected with DBV, which causes severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome.
Because can overlap with many infections, Nachman emphasized the importance of identifying the specific virus
"Effective antivirals exist for flu, but not for many tick-borne viruses, including the newly identified one," she said
For most patients, supportive care is given to help manage symptoms, "but it's also about being smart and not giving patients the wrong medication," Nachman noted "And we certainly don't want to use antibiotics because those only work for , not for viruses."
Nachman shared the best practices she recommends to families looking to
"Wear the right clothing, meaning long pants, tucking them into your socks, and use tick repellents on your skin if you're an adult or on your clothing if you're a young child," she advised
It’s also important to be on the lookout for ticks
"The longer the tick is on your skin, the more it's engorged, the more it’s likely to pass an infection to you," Nachman said "So, removing them after you've gone hiking or walking on the beach will be really important."
While the Asian longhorn tick is not yet seen in the US., Nachman noted there are "lots and lots of other ticks, and those ticks carry other diseases."
"I don't want to say one tick is worse than another tick It's rather all about the diseases they carry and who you are," she said.
"So, if you're a healthy adult, and you get babesiosis, you often get better without But if you're an immune-compromised adult, you're going to be quite sick.
"It’s not really about the ticks It’s about the patient. Who are you? What's your underlying illness if you have any? How old are you, and are you?"