A 70-year-old woman from Ibaraki Prefecture had comorbid conditions including hypertension and high blood fat levels.
Japan has confirmed the world’s first death caused by the Oz virus infection. The statement from the Ministry of Health of the Asian country was released on Friday (23).
The 70-year-old woman, from Ibaraki Prefecture, had comorbidities including hypertension and high blood fat levels. The patient, who had no history of traveling abroad, had malaise, loss of appetite, vomiting, joint pain and high fever. Tests for the coronavirus were negative and she was given antibiotics due to suspected pneumonia and was released for observation at home.
However, the elderly woman was admitted to a hospital again, with blood tests showing a decrease in platelets, liver and kidney disorders and an intense inflammatory reaction. Physicians suspected arthropod-borne infection due to observation of tick bites upon admission. Tests were negative for infection with rickettsial bacteria, such as those responsible for Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
The patient had heart problems and tests suggested a picture of myocarditis, which consists of inflammation of the heart muscle. Despite the treatments, she suddenly developed ventricular fibrillation, which is an abnormal heart rhythm, and did not resist.
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About the Oz Virus
The Oz virus – technically called OZV – is a new virus of the genus Togotovirus, of the family Orthomyxoviridae. According to the Japanese Ministry of Health, it was isolated and identified in a tick of the species Amblyomma testudinarium in the country in 2018.
Animal serum antibody surveys in Japan have detected antibodies in some animal species, such as Japanese macaques, wild boar, and deer, in western and eastern Japan, but no animal cases have been reported to date.
Furthermore, although research in humans is limited, two individuals with antibodies were found in a study of 24 hunters. On the other hand, there were no reports of detection of antibodies in serum or detection of viruses in animals or humans outside Japan, according to the folder.
The Ministry of Health in the Asian country states that this is the first case of death from the infection, associated with myocarditis. The diagnosis was confirmed by tests conducted at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.
Other viruses belonging to the genus Togotovirus include Bourbon virus (BRBV), Dhori virus (DHOV) and Thogoto virus (THOV) 3). Many of the viruses of this genus have been detected in ticks and they are believed to be the main vectors to vertebrates.
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