Woman dies from tick disease caught from infected cat

Tokyo, Jul 25

A Japanese woman has died of a tick- borne disease caught from a cat, in what is thought to be the first such mammal to human transmission.

The woman, who was in her 50s, had been helping a sick stray cat when she was bitten. She died ten days later of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS), an infection carried by ticks.

However, no tick bites were detected on the woman and the doctors are assuming that the illness must have been contracted through the infected cat.

Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) is a relatively new infectious disease emerging in China, Korea and Japan.

The virus is said to have death rates of up to 30 per cent and is especially severe in people over 50, the 'BBC News' reported.

Although the death was a rare case, Japan's health ministry has warned people to be careful when in contact with animals in poor physical condition.

Globally, tick bites are widely associated with transmitting Lyme disease,  which can lead to severe illness and death if left untreated. —PTI