China lists severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome as a notifiable disease: a crucial step forward
Abstract
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), caused by SFTS virus (SFTSV, family Phenuiviridae), is a viral haemorrhagic fever with a case-fatality rate (CFR) exceeding 10%.1 First identified in central China in 2009, SFTSV now has the broadest geographical distribution among known tick-borne viruses in Asia and has been listed by WHO as a priority pathogen.2 After 16 years, China has designated SFTS as a notifiable Class B disease,3 a landmark decision that elevates SFTS to the same legal status as dengue, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis, with far-reaching implications for surveillance, clinical management, and research.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Viral Infections and Vectors
Hematological disorders and diagnostics
Vector-borne infectious diseases
Publication details
- Journal / source
- The Lancet Microbe
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 101440–101440
- Publication date
- 15 May 2026
- Language
- EN