BEIJING (AFP) – Health authorities in China are scrambling to allay public fears about a tick-borne disease that has killed more than 30 people since 2007, but admitted they do not know how many have been infected.
The illness known as human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) has spread to 12 provinces including Henan in central China and Shandong in the east, where the deaths have been reported, the China Daily reported Saturday.
HGA is treatable if detected early. Symptoms include fever, headache and muscle aches, but the infection can reduce a patient's white blood cell and platelet count, leading to organ failure and death.
So far we have no details on the general epidemic situation across the country,"..
A total of 182 cases have been identified in Shandong since May 2008..
It is still difficult to pinpoint the pathogen of the disease since it may be caused by a new virus," Wang Shiwen, an expert at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.
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