In Japan, the world’s first death from the Oz virus, caused by a tick bite, was recorded
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In Japan, a 70-year-old woman died after contracting the tick-borne Oz virus in Ibaraki Prefecture. This is the world’s first case of death from this virus, according to Nippon. The Oz virus was discovered in the country in 2018. Although cases of human and wild animal infection were likely, there has been no confirmation of human infection so far. According to the prefectural government and the Ministry of Health, the woman sought medical care in the summer of 2022 after developing fever and fatigue. Ticks are 3 to 4 ml in size. Photo: Institute of Infectious Diseases The patient was diagnosed with pneumonia, but after her condition worsened, the woman was hospitalized. A tick was found on her right thigh. The patient died of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, 26 days after hospitalization. According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo, there is no vaccine against the Oz virus, which has not been found outside of Japan. The institute said that infection with the virus is not necessarily fatal, but more research is needed into its symptoms and dangers. The virus was first identified in 2018 in an Amblyomma testudinarium tick found in the western prefecture of Ehime. According to the institute, the Oz virus is transmitted through a tick bite, in particular, this species exists in a large area of Japan. Antibodies were found in wild monkeys, wild boars and deer in different areas of the country. It is also reported that two hunters in Yamaguta tested positive for antibodies. According to a 2022 study by Japanese scientists, the O3 virus is a new tick-borne virus that causes a fatal infection in mice. The results showed that the Oz virus can naturally infect humans and other mammals. We will remind you that more than 14% of the world’s population suffers from Lyme disease – the most common disease transmitted by ticks. Read also: Beware of ticks: encephalitis, borreliosis and how to avoid it
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