Virus: Heartland virus, belonging to the genera Phlebovirus of the family Bunyaviridae
Transmitted by: Ambylomma americanum (Lone Star)
Possible hosts in the environment: white-tailed deer and raccoons
Clinical features:
(1) fever >= 100.4°F (>= 38.0°C)
(2) leucopenia (WBC count < 4,500 per µL)
(3) thrombocytopenia (platelet count < 150,000 per µL)
(4) multi-organ failure (MOF)
Evidence of recent infection:
(1) four-fold or greater rise in virus-specific plaque reduction neutralization antibody titers between acute and convalescent sera
(2) viral RNA detected by RT-PCR
Diagnosis involves exclusion of other possible explanations for the findings.
