A sixty-two year old woman in Chungcheongnam-do Province has died of a tick-borne virus. Her death is the first from the virus this year.<br /> The woman contracted the virus on a livestock farm.<br />The virus is transmitted by ticks and causes "severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome" or SFTS,... the symptoms of which include diarrhea, fever and nausea. <br />There is no vaccine for the virus, and health authorities caution against contact with ticks. <br />Rural residents, particularly the elderly, are advised to wear long sleeves when working on farms and avoid lying down in the grass. <br />
