Increased Risk of Infection with Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Virus among Animal Populations on Tsushima Island, Japan, Including an Endangered Species, Tsushima Leopard Cats

Aya Matsuu; Kandai Doi; Keita Ishijima; Kango Tatemoto; Yushi Koshida; Ayako Yoshida; Kohei Kiname; Akio Iwashita; Shin-Ichi Hayama; Ken Maeda

doi:10.3390/v14122631

Increased Risk of Infection with Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Virus among Animal Populations on Tsushima Island, Japan, Including an Endangered Species, Tsushima Leopard Cats

Viruses. 2022 Nov 25;14(12):2631. doi: 10.3390/v14122631.

Authors

Aya Matsuu^{1

2}, Kandai Doi^{3

4}, Keita Ishijima¹, Kango Tatemoto¹, Yushi Koshida⁵, Ayako Yoshida⁶, Kohei Kiname⁷, Akio Iwashita⁷, Shin-Ichi Hayama³, Ken Maeda¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
² Transboundary Animal Diseases Research Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan.
³ Laboratory of Wildlife Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, 1-7-1 Kyonancho, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan.
⁴ Department of Wildlife Biology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba 305-8687, Japan.
⁵ Conservation and Animal Welfare Trust, Tsushima, 642-2 Kamiagata, Tsushima, Nagasaki 817-1602, Japan.
⁶ Center for Animal Disease Control, Kibana Campus, University of Miyazaki, 1-1 Gakuen-kibanadai-nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan.
⁷ Tsushima Rangers Office, Ministry of Environment, 1249 Izuhara, Tsushima, Nagasaki 817-0154, Japan.

Abstract

To investigate the seroprevalence of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) among wild and companion animals on Tsushima Island, Japan, SFTS virus (SFTSV)-specific ELISA and virus-neutralizing tests were conducted on 50 wild boars, 71 Sika deer, 84 dogs, 323 domestic cats, and 6 Tsushima leopard cats. In total, 1 wild boar (1.8%), 2 dogs (2.4%), 7 domestic cats (2.2%), and 1 Tsushima leopard cat (16.7%) were positive for anti-SFTSV antibodies. Among the 11 positive animals, 10 were collected after 2019, and all were found on the southern part of the island. SFTSV, thus far, seems to be circulating within a limited area of Tsushima Island. To protect humans and animals, including endangered Tsushima leopard cats, from SFTSV infection, countermeasures are needed to prevent the spread of SFTSV on Tsushima Island.

Keywords: SFTS; Tsushima leopard cat; wildlife; zoonosis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Bunyaviridae Infections* / epidemiology
Bunyaviridae Infections* / veterinary
Cats
Deer*
Dogs
Endangered Species
Humans
Japan / epidemiology
Panthera*
Phlebovirus*
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome*
Thrombocytopenia*

Supplementary concepts

SFTS phlebovirus

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI under grant numbers 21H02365 and 20H00652; research fellow of JSPS KAKENHI under grant number JP22J01651; the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) under grant numbers JP22fk0108634, JP21fk0108615, JP20wm0225009, JP22fk0108625, JP21fk0108613, and JP19fk0108081; Environment Research and Technology Development Fund grant number 4-2005; and Health Labour Sciences Research grant numbers 21HA2006 and 21KA1003.