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Characteristics of Three Person-to-Person Transmission Clusters of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome in Southeastern China

Mingyong Tao Ningbo University, Ningbo, China;

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Ying Liu Key Laboratory of Vaccine, Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China

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Feng Ling Key Laboratory of Vaccine, Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China

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Rong Zhang Key Laboratory of Vaccine, Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China

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Xuguang Shi Key Laboratory of Vaccine, Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China

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Jiangping Ren Key Laboratory of Vaccine, Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China

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Song Guo Key Laboratory of Vaccine, Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China

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Jimin Sun Key Laboratory of Vaccine, Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China

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Jianmin Jiang Key Laboratory of Vaccine, Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.21-0366
Volume/Issue:
Volume 105: Issue 3
Page(s):
794–800
Restricted access
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ABSTRACT.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease worldwide. It can be transmitted from person to person, and the fatality rate is very high. During this study, three SFTS clusters including 12 associated cases were identified in three counties in Zhejiang Province from 2018 to 2020. The median age of the three index patients was 70 years, and that of secondary case patients was 59 years. Of note, the mortality rate of the index patients was 100%. The mortality rate of secondary case patients was 11%. The total secondary attack rate (SAR) was 30% (9/30). The SARs of cluster A, cluster B, and cluster C were 38% (3/8), 21% (3/14), and 38% (3/8), respectively. Additionally, the interval from onset to diagnosis was 4 days. The intervals from disease onset to confirmation of the index cases and secondary cases were 7 days and 4 days, respectively. All secondary case patients had a history of close contact with blood or body fluids of the index patients. These results indicate that SFTS patients should not be discharged until recovery. When SFTS patients die, the corpses should be transferred directly from the hospital to the crematorium for cremation by persons wearing proper protective equipment to prevent virus transmission.

Author Notes

Address correspondence to Jimin Sun or Jianmin Jiang, 3399 Binsheng Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou, China. E-mails: jmsun@cdc.zj.cn or jmjiang@cdc.zj.cn
These authors contributed equally to this work.

Financial support: This study was supported by National Natural Science Funds of China (no. 81872675), a grant from the Science Technology Department of Zhejiang Province (no. LGF20H260001), the state project for scientific & technological development of the 13th 5-year plan in China (no. 2017ZX10303404008002), and the medical health science and technology project of Zhejiang Provincial Health Commission (no. 2019KY060).

Authors’ addresses: Mingyong Tao, Ningbo University, Medical School, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China, E-mail: 1911101035@nbu.edu.cn. Ying Liu, Feng Ling, Rong Zhang, Xuguang Shi, Jiangping Ren, Song Guo, Jimin Sun, and Jianmin Jiang, Key Laboratory of Vaccine, Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China, E-mails: yliu@cdc.zj.cn, fengl@cdc.zj.cn, rzhang@cdc.zj.cn, xgshi@cdc.zj.cn, jpren@cdc.zj.cn, sguo@cdc.zj.cn, jmsun@cdc.zj.cn, and jmjiang@cdc.zj.cn.

Copyright:
© The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2021
Received:
31 Mar 2021
|
Accepted:
07 May 2021
|
Published Online:
12 Jul 2021
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
Online ISSN:
1476-1645
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