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The most common severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in China is caused by a bunyavirus of the Phlebovirus genus, which accordingly is named SFTS virus. Other manifestations of SFTS caused by this virus include leukopenia, elevated liver enzymes, and a case fatality rate of about 10%. However, several emerging rickettsiae that can cause human disease, with symptoms similar to those caused by the SFTS virus, have been described in China since 2012.
While investigating cases of presumed viral STFS at a sentinel hospital, researchers retrospectively screened patients for evidence of Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae (CRT) infection. They used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for spotted fever group rickettsiae, serologic assays f…