Scientists in China have identified a previously unknown tick-borne virus that produces flu-like illness and may account for cases of fever, fatigue, digestive problems, and low platelet counts that had no clear cause. The virus, referred to as ALTNV, was found in patients presenting with these symptoms.
The report states that most patients who had ALTNV alone recovered. It also notes that some patients had coinfections with another pathogen, but the available text cuts off before giving further detail on how those cases differed.
This article is based on a single source, so there are no independent reports to compare for agreement or disagreement. The finding nonetheless adds ALTNV to the list of tick-borne pathogens to consider when patients present with non-specific febrile illness in tick-exposed regions.