BACKGROUND: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging 
tick-borne disease. Haemophysalis longicornis ticks have been considered the 
vector of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV). However, 
clear data on the transmission of SFTS from ticks to humans are limited.
CASE PRESENTATION: We report an 84-year-old woman who presented with fever and 
altered mentality, which was confirmed as SFTS with encephalopathy by 
reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction in blood and cerebrospinal 
fluid. The SFTSV was also identified in the tick that bit her, H. longicornis. 
Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the SFTSV from the patient and the tick was 
identical. The patient gradually recovered with treatments of corticosteroids 
and immunoglobulin.
CONCLUSION: These findings provide further evidence of SFTS viral transmission 
from H. longicornis to human.