World's first case of tick-borne Oz virus confirmed in Japan

Jun 24 (NHK) - Japan's health ministry says a woman in her 70s who died last year has been found to be the first case of an infectious disease caused by the Oz virus in the country, and also the first in the world. Hard ticks are believed to be carriers of the virus.

The ministry said on Friday that a woman died of myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscles, in Ibaraki Prefecture, north of Tokyo.

She had visited a hospital complaining of fever and fatigue. At the time, a tick was found biting her upper thigh. An autopsy concluded she had been infected with the Oz virus.

The ministry says this is the first-ever reported case of an Oz virus infection, either fatal or not.

Ministry officials say becoming infected with the virus does not necessarily turn out to be fatal because antibody tests of blood samples in Japan suggest some people have been infected by it.

It remains unknown exactly how people get the virus, but being bitten by virus-carrying hard ticks is a likely cause.

The ministry is urging people to wear long-sleeved tops and long trousers when they go to grassy areas where ticks can be found. ...continue reading

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