A Fatal Case of Severe Fever With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Possibly Transmitted Through a Hog Badger’s Bite

Abstract Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a highly fatal hemorrhagic fever normally transmitted to humans through tick bites. Here, we report that a 63-year-old man presented symptoms (fever, chill, cough and vomiting) 15 days after being bitten by a hog badger. He was diagnosed with SFTS and died of multiple organ failure. Epidemiological investigations suggested it is mostly likely that the SFTS virus was transmitted through the hog badger’s bite. This may be the first case of SFTS directly transmitted from wild animals, and the potential risk of SFTS virus from wild animals to humans should be considered.