Global News reports that China's Anhui Province confirmed that a newly emerging tick-borne infectious disease known as severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome had caused five deaths.
According to local media, five died, and 23 people are hospitalized with a severe fever.
Doctors say that the disease is caused by a novel bunyavirus, which is spread by ticks. Patients infected with the novel bunyavirus can spread the virus to others. The disease causes symptoms like severe fever, thrombocytopenia, and vomiting.
A disease control staffer from the Lu'an health commission said Lu'an is a mountainous region, and ticks and leeches often bite villagers working in the fields. People susceptible to insect bites are more likely to be stricken by insect-borne diseases.
