First local death due to tick-borne disease of the year confirmed in Kure

The first local death of the year due to tick-borne disease, Japanese Spotted Fever (nihon-kouhan-netsu), was reported in Kure on May 29.

According to Kure City, a woman in her 70s was rushed to the hospital on May 24th, but died later the same day. The woman had been showing symptoms that included fever for about a week before her death.

What is Japanese Spotted Fever?

According to RCC News, Japanese Spotted Fever has an incubation period of 2-8 days, after which sufferers typically display symptoms including high fever, headache, and chills. This is followed by a full-body rash, which is not itchy or painful. Japanese Spotted Fever is not transmitted from person to person.



Precautions against being bitten by ticks


・ When outdoors, wear long sleeves, long pants, shoes that completely cover your feet, a hat, gloves, and wrap a towel around your neck to reduce exposed skin.

・ After outdoor activities, shake out your clothes to check for tick bites.

・ Pulling out blood-sucking ticks risks parts of the tick remaining under the skin and causing infection, so seeking medical treatment (at a dermatology clinic or hospital) is recommended

・ If you experience symptoms such as fever after being bitten by a tick, seek medical attention immediately.