Ten Die in China from Tick Bites

China’s Disease Prevention and Control Center reported on June 16 that the 280 plus recent cases of tick bites had resulted in 10 deaths. The most recent death case involved a 47-year-old man who was rushed to the hospital on June 13 in Baishan, Jilin, but subsequently died. The victim, surnamed Zhu, arrived at the hospital with many tick bite marks and a 104 degrees Farenheit fever. He was diagnosed with Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE).

Mainland China is infested with more than 110 species of ticks. These arachnids (ticks are not insects) have a small, round shape, eight legs, are reddish brown or grayish brown in color and range in size from that of a sesame seed to a rice grain. They are external parasites that live by sucking blood. As they travel from one host to another, they carry disease. Ticks are known to carry 83 types of virus, 31 types of bacteria and 32 types of protozoa.

More Severe Now

Villagers in the Jiangyuan district, located in the mountains of Jilin, said that the tick problem is at its worst during spring. A villager from the Xiaoheyou Village says, “It wasn’t this severe in the past; this year is much worse than usual.” A Jiangyuan county livestock company owner said that many dogs, cattle, and other animals in the mountainous region are infested with ticks.

Another villager says that the season is now approaching the worst time of the year. Ticks live mainly near oak trees, and if people stay there long, they might be bitten. He said, “Ticks live in oak trees, so tick bites are common here, but I haven’t received any notice recommending special precautions.”

A lady at a hospital in Baishan told how patients had come just this morning (June 17) to have some ticks removed. She noted that, “It’s a scary condition; if bitten, you need to rush to the hospital to have it removed. It’s very dangerous, you might die.” The hospital neurology department says that many people are bitten each day, but not everyone dies. Ticks can carry viruses, which might lead to tick-borne encephalitis and even death, but a victim won’t be infected if the tick is not carrying the virus.

A staff member at the Baishan Disease Prevention and Control Center, having been bitten before, says that it’s very common for people to be bitten around the Jiangyuan mountain area. He also said that ticks can easily get into people’s hair, clothing and pants. If bitten, the person should be rushed to the hospital and a small cut can be made to remove the tick.

Wide Distribution

Henan Province has been the hardest hit by this scourge. Officially, as of May 24, there have been 71 cases of fever due to thrombocytopenia syndrome (Tick Disease), resulting in 4 deaths.

Between May 2007 and Sept. 8, 2010 Henan province has reported 557 suspected cases, resulting in 18 deaths. Most reported cases were in Shangcheng county’s Xinyang City, Shihe district, and Guangshan County’s Pingqiao district.

Tick bite cases are widely spread throughout China. According to mainland media, on May 20, the Health Department of Shandong Province reported a total of 5 tick bite cases so far in 2011, resulting in one death. Currently, cases have been found in Jinan, Zibo, Yantai, Taian, Weifang, Weihai, Zaozhuang and other regions.

China’s capital has not been spared. Recently, the first case of infection associated with a tick bite this year was reported in Beijing. A worker from the Changping district said that some residents and a dog were bitten, but when an expert examined them, no living specimens were found, except for a tick on the dog. Local disease control has begun decontamination efforts in the area.

chinareports@epochtimes.com