Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus, Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Virus, and Migratory Birds

ABSTRACT

Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) and Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) are tick-borne diseases belonging to the family Bunyaviridae. Since SFTS was first reported in China in 2009, the virus was isolated and confirmed in 2011, with additional reports of SFTSV expanding its geographic range from China to South Korea and Japan. CCHFV has the widest geographic distribution of any tick-borne virus, encompassing around 30 countries from eastern China through Asia, the Middle East, and southeastern Europe to Africa. During the past decade, CCHFV has emerged in new areas of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia and has increased in endemic areas. Migratory birds are considered to play a role in dispersing CCHFV vectors, and the virus. This review summarises SFTSV and CCHFV, highlighting the role of migratory birds in the transmission of tick-borne disease.