A swollen ixodid tick is seen after sucking blood. (Photo provided by the Department of Medical Entomology, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases)

       FUKUOKA -- A man in his 60s who lives in the southwest Japan city of Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture, died on Aug. 21 of a tick-borne infection.

       The Kurume Municipal Government in the same prefecture announced on Aug. 22 that the man died of a severe fever from thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), which is transmitted by ixodid ticks.

       According to the Kurume municipal public health center, the man was hospitalized on Aug. 16 for symptoms including fever and fatigue, diagnosed with SFTS three days later, and died on Aug. 21. As he had a tick bite mark near his right ankle, he was possibly bitten while he was farming.

       The public health center is urging people to reduce their skin exposure in places such as tufts of grass as ixodid ticks are active between spring and autumn.

       (Japanese original by Yumiko Tani, Kyushu News Department)

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