Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne infectious disease caused by a novel Dabie bandavirus belonging to the genus Bandavirus. The incidence of SFTS has been increasing in East Asia, posing a great concern to public health in endemic areas. Although SFTS has a high case-fatality rate, there is currently no effective treatment for SFTS. Therefore, early diagnosis and prevention of SFTS are essential. Primarily, SFTS is a tick-borne zoonosis, but human-to-human transmission can also occur in healthcare workers or family members by exposure to patients’ blood or body fluids. We review the current epidemiological characteristics of SFTS in Korea and the key infection control measures in hospitals and household settings.

Keywords: Epidemiology, Infection control, Korea, Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, Bandavirus