Taipei: A man in his 70s from northern Taiwan has been discharged after being diagnosed with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), marking the country's third ever domestic case, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Tuesday. The patient sought emergency treatment in late February after developing general weakness and a fever, and was later admitted to hospital, the agency said at a routine press conference.

According to Focus Taiwan, CDC epidemiologist Lin Yung-ching reported that the patient was released from isolation and discharged after more than two weeks. The source of infection remains under investigation. Lin explained that the disease is primarily transmitted through tick bites but may also spread between humans. Nine contacts, including household members and medical personnel, have been identified and none have so far shown symptoms, with monitoring to continue through March 26.

The CDC and local health authorities conducted an environmental investigation at the patient's residence on March 12 and completed sampling, Lin noted. No ticks were found inside the residence or on pets, and a total of 16 ticks were collected outside the residence, none of which tested positive for the virus.

Director of the Taiwan CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Center Kuo Hung-wei mentioned that Taiwan previously recorded domestic SFTS cases in 2019 and 2022. Kuo highlighted that SFTS was first reported in China in 2009 and has since been reported in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Thailand, with continued spread and geographic expansion in East Asia in recent years.

The CDC described symptoms of SFTS as including nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite, along with fever accompanied by reduced platelets and white blood cells. Severe cases may result in death due to multiple organ failure, with a fatality rate of about 5 percent to 15 percent, according to the CDC.