A new tick-born disease is starting to make its way around the world. Set to rival Lyme disease, which results from a tick bite, this so-far unnamed disease mimics DVT (deep vein thrombosis), a life-threatening condition usually associated with long-haul flights.
Nine cases of the new disease have been identified, including three in the Swedish city of Gothenburg. All of the people affected had the bacterium, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, in their blood. The bacterium, identified on the Japanese island of Mikura in 2004, is found in ticks and rodents.
It tends to be caught in the summer months when the ticks are active, although it cannot be passed between humans.
The first case, involving a 77-year-old man, was identified in Sweden in 2009 after he received emergency treatment for DVT. He had been kayaking in Sweden when he developed the infection.
Since then, eight other cases have been confirmed around the world. DVT seems to be the most common symptom, especially in people whose immune system is already compromised.
(Source: University of Gothenburg).
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