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News
Scientists in China have identified a brand-new tick-borne virus — dubbed ALTNV — that causes fever, fatigue, and GI symptoms, and may explain cases previously misattributed to other tick-borne diseases. Over 10% of patients tested positive, and most recovered fully. However, coinfections with the deadly Dabie bandavirus were linked to more severe outcomes, including death.
Chinese scientists have identified a previously unknown virus — Asian longhorned tick nairovirus (ALTNV) — that causes a flu-like illness with fever, fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms, and low platelet counts. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the discovery emerged from efforts to explain why roughly 30% of patients with symptoms of Dabie bandavirus (DBV) infection — the pathogen behind the deadly Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) — kept testing negative for it.
Among 3,163 patients studied, 10.4% tested positive for ALTNV, rising to 15.1% among those who were DBV-negative. Patients infected with ALTNV alone generally recovered fully. The bigger concern? Coinfections with DBV were associated with significantly worse outcomes, including higher rates of respiratory complications, kidney impairment, and death.
ALTNV and DBV share the same tick vector (Haemaphysalis longicornis, the Asian longhorned tick) and circulate in the same regions of China. This overlap means clinicians in endemic areas could easily confuse the two infections — a potentially dangerous mistake given their very different prognoses. Better diagnostic tools and differential testing protocols will be critical going forward.
