A woman died of a tick-borne illness, even though she wasn’t bitten by a blood-sucking parasite.
She was infected because of a cat bite, health officials say.
The death of the Japanese woman, who died after contracting severe fever with so-called “thrombocytopenia syndrome,” is the first case of a human being infected with the disease without being directly bitten by a tick, the Japan Times reported.
She died 10 days after being bitten by a presumably sick stray cat, the health ministry told the paper last week.
“Thrombocytopenia syndrome” is a “relatively new” infectious disease hitting Japan, China and South Korea. It is apparently similar to the “Heartland virus” in the U.S.
The illness has reportedly infected 266 people and killed 57 in Asia since being confirmed in 2013. It causes mostly flu-like symptoms, including fevers, drowsiness and nausea.
Since the woman’s death, Japanese health officials are warning against interactions with pets that are kept outside and show signs of illness.