Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease caused by a novel bunyavirus known as SFTS virus (SFTSV). SFTSV can be transmitted from person to person through contact with infected blood or bloody respiratory secretions, in addition to tick bites. The disease was first discovered in rural areas of central China in 2009. Since then, it has spread throughout East Asia, including China, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam.

SFTS is increasingly becoming a public health threat, because of its high morbidity and mortality. However, the current understanding of this disease is limited. First of all, at present, the pathogenesis of SFTS with multiple organ dysfunction syndromes and the severity of the disease is not yet clear. Second, more and more studies have reported the possibility of transmitting SFTSV from person to person, but the risk of human-to-human transmission is unclear, and what can be done to prevent it should be explored. Third, there are no specific treatments or preventions for SFTS. Furthermore, more research should be conducted on treatments and vaccines for SFTS.

This Research Topic welcomes Original Research articles, Reviews, Short Communications, and Opinions in the field of SFTS research. Subtopics of interest include, but are not limited to:
1. Epidemiological surveillance and research on vector-borne SFTSV and zoonotic viruses, including tick-borne viruses;
2. The investigation of the relationship between SFTSV gene variations and the disease severity and risk of person-to-person transmission;
3. The research about the pathogenesis of multiple organ dysfunction syndromes and immune responses elicited by SFTSV;
4. The study of secondary infections that contribute to case fatality in SFTS patients, such as bacteria and fungal infections, particularly invasive pulmonary aspergillosis;
5. The study of immune-mediated SFTSV-neutralizing antibodies, including antiviral antibodies and vaccines;
6. The clinical research of treatment effects such as blood purification, glucocorticoid and immunoglobulin in severe SFTS patients.

Submit your idea

Impact

Frontiers in Microbiology

Participating Journals

Impact