Japanese scientists have identified a new tick-borne virus

Japanese scientists have named the new virus 'Yezo'. The infection was first identified in 2014. Within six years, seven more people had been affected by a similar disease. It was accompanied by symptoms such as:

• fever;
• decreased white blood cell count;
• decreased platelet count.

Jeso has been classified as a pathogen in the genus Orthonairovirus. It also includes the Congo Crimean haemorrhagic fever virus, according to Japanese scientists.

As Nature Communications wrote, specialists have found antibodies to the new virus in spotted deer and raccoons. In addition, the scientists also found that humans contracted Yezo through tick bites.

Earlier, Gao Fu, head of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, warned the world about the new virus, which has not yet been fully studied. It must be dealt with jointly, the scientist stressed.