S. Korea reports first suspected death by killer tick

An elderly man suspected of being bitten by a killer tick died on Jeju Island on Thursday, the first such case in the country following recent reports of deaths in Japan, local health authorities said.

The 73-year-old farmer, identified as his surname Kang, died earlier in the day of blood poisoning after showing symptoms similar to those of SFTS, or severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome.

Kang had been in the intensive care unit since last week after suffering from high fever, diarrhea, vomiting and consciousness degradation.

Though the authorities have yet to confirm his infection with the virus, their epidemiological investigation found that he got a tick bite, according to officials.

The syndrome, recently reported in China and Japan and known to be linked to a tick-born Bunyavirus virus, has a fatality rate of as high as 30 percent. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, multiple organ failure and other blood-related problems.

If confirmed, Kang will be the first case of human infection with the virus in South Korea. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently said the virus was found in one species of tick, the Haemaphysalis longicornis, that inhabit the entire country.

In Japan, eight patients were found to be infected with the virus, and five of them have died. (Yonhap News)