18/06/2026
🐾 SFTS Awareness for Pet Owners in Japan 🐾
As pet owners and animal rescue volunteers in Japan, it is important to be aware of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS), a serious tick-borne disease that can affect both animals and humans. Understanding the risks and the importance of prevention can help protect our pets, our families, and our communities.
SFTS has not been reported in the United States. However, SFTS is a serious tick-borne disease found in Japan. Human cases continue to be reported, including a case in Kanagawa Prefecture where a person became infected with SFTS after a tick bite while gardening, and a veterinarian in Mie Prefecture passed away after becoming infected with SFTS.
Dogs and cats can become infected through the bite of a tick carrying the SFTS virus, and infected animals may potentially transmit the virus to people through bites, scratches, or contact with body fluids. Cats are particularly vulnerable, with reported mortality rates of approximately 70% in affected cats. Dogs can also develop severe disease.
For those of us living in Yokosuka—including military families, civilian personnel, rescue volunteers, and local pet owners—it is important to understand that diseases present in Japan may differ from those commonly seen in the United States. Preventive care that protects pets from ticks is not only important for animal health but may also help reduce the risk of exposure for people.
While no prevention method is 100% effective, there are important steps we can take to help reduce the risk of tick exposure and SFTS infection:
✔ Use veterinarian-recommended flea and tick prevention year-round.
✔ Check pets for ticks after outdoor activities.
✔ Seek veterinary care promptly if your pet develops fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, or other signs of illness.
✔ Reduce walks in high-risk areas such as mountains, forests, and other places where ticks may be present.
✔ Avoid direct contact with bodily fluids from sick animals.
Protect your pets. Protect your family.
Source: https://id-info.jihs.go.jp/en/risk-assessment/severe-fever-with-thrombocytopenia-syndrome/20240801/index.html
