Photo/Illutration The health ministry has created a poster warning pet owners about ticks, which can carry infectious diseases such as severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, known as SFTS. (Takahiro Takenouchi)

A pet dog in Ibaraki Prefecture has been confirmed to have contracted a potentially fatal tick-transmitted disease, according to sources, as the risk of infection in pets is likely increasing.

The severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus is a zoonotic disease transmitted by ticks and causes fever, vomiting and diarrhea.

The fatality rate for humans is 30 percent, 40 percent for dogs and 60 percent for cats.

Also in Ibaraki Prefecture, a pet cat infection, believed to be the first in the Kanto region, was confirmed in May.

Prefectural officials are expected to soon announce the two cases.

“I was aware that SFTS had been confirmed in Ibaraki Prefecture, so when I saw the test result, I felt that (the dog) had tested positive after all,” said a veterinarian who treated the infected canine.

According to the veterinarian and prefectural officials, the dog with confirmed SFTS is a 3-year-old, midsize male.

The dog enjoys mountain climbing and trekking with his owner. It had also been in the mountains in early June.

The dog was brought to the veterinary clinic on June 13 with symptoms of fever exceeding 40 degrees and a loss of appetite.

No evidence of tick bites was found, but the dog was scratching a lot after entering the mountains, the veterinarian said.

The canine's fever did not recede the following day, and a blood test showed low platelet and white blood cell counts.

The veterinarian felt that the symptoms were typical of SFTS.

In mid-May, a pet cat that temporarily escaped outdoors in the prefecture tested positive for SFTS and died.

The veterinarian had heard of the details through a notice from the prefecture and through connections among other veterinarians.

The veterinarian, thinking, “This could be a big problem,” consulted the prefectural government about a suspected case of SFTS.

On June 19, detailed blood tests revealed that the dog tested positive for the SFTS virus.

The dog in this case is recovering after receiving antipyretics and other medications.

However, since there have been cases of the SFTS virus being transmitted from pets to humans, the veterinarian has asked the dog’s owner not to touch the canine’s bodily fluids, to thoroughly disinfect, and to refrain from walking the pet for a time.

The veterinarian is consulting with the prefecture to have another test conducted on the dog in July to confirm the negative result.

According to the veterinarian, the dog’s owner is knowledgeable about SFTS and infection prevention, and to date, no human infections have occurred in the prefecture, including the veterinarian.

The veterinarian said, “As a potentially serious disease, I want pet owners to know that they are at risk for SFTS, too. Preventing ticks is the first step.”

According to the Ibaraki prefectural government, 10 cats and four dogs have been tested so far, including the infected dog, and this was the second case to test positive for the virus.

In May, a veterinarian involved in the hospitalization and treatment of a cat in Mie Prefecture was found to have died from SFTS.

In June, SFTS-related human deaths were reported in Shizuoka and Aichi prefectures as well. The deaths are believed to have been caused by tick bites during weeding and other activities.

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