BACKGROUND: Severe @entity221 with @entity882 (SFTS) is a tick-borne, novel bunyavirus-caused @entity7823 . It becomes a threat to public health due to its high fatality rate. OBJECTIVE: To clarify the epidemiological characteristics of SFTS and natural host(s) of SFTS-causing virus (SFTSV) in East China. STUDY DESIGN: Serum antibody against SFTSV in 496 healthy villagers was examined by ELISA. SFTSV in acute sera of SFTS cases and lung tissues of house and field @entity19 / @entity35 were identified using quantitative RT-PCR, cell culture, and sequencing. RESULTS: A total of 22 laboratory-confirmed SFTS cases were diagnosed between 2012 and 2014, of which 5 (22.7%) reported a history of @entity5864 . The seroprevalance of SFTSV antibody was 10.5% in healthy villagers. SFTSV genomic RNAs were identified in 2 of 8 @entity16554 but not in @entity35 (n=40) and Rattus losea (n=4). The 3 segments of SFTSV from 11 SFTS cases and 2 A. agrarius were successfully sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that at least 3 different SFTSV strains (inland-type, Ningbo-native-type, and their reassortant-type) were present in Ningbo. The 3 segments of the 2 SFTSV isolates from A. agrarius shared great sequence homologies to those isolated from the @entity1 living in nearby villages. CONCLUSION: The present study indicated that A. agrarius might be a natural host of SFTSV in East China.

XXXX is a potential natural host of severe @entity221 with @entity882 (SFTS)-causing novel bunyavirus.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity882 :: ('MESH:D013921', 'Disease') :: ['thrombocytopenia syndrome'] @entity19 :: ('10090', 'Species') :: ['mouse'] @entity7823 :: ('MESH:D021821', 'Disease') :: ['emerging infectious disease'] @entity16554 :: ('39030', 'Species') :: ['Apodemus agrarius'] @entity35 :: ('10116', 'Species') :: ['Rattus norvegicus', 'rats'] @entity5864 :: ('MESH:D064927', 'Disease') :: ['tick-bites'] @entity221 :: ('MESH:D005334', 'Disease') :: ['fever']
@entity16554 :: (39030,Species) :: ['Apodemus agrarius']
