# Tickborne SFTS Virus Vaccine Development

> **NIH NIH R01** · CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COM-CWRU · 2022 · $564,500

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a newly emerging tick-borne
infectious disease caused by SFTS virus (SFTSV). SFTSV is listed in the most dangerous viral
pathogens by the WHO that most likely cause wide epidemics in the near future. The incidence of
SFTSV infection has continuously increased up to more than 5,000 humans with a mortality rate
ranging from 12% to as high as 30%. SFTSV induces a characteristic thrombocytopenia that is
remarkably similar to viral hemorrhagic fevers. Infected ticks are the major source of human SFTSV
infection. Particularly, the recent spread of this tick to over 12 states of USA increases the potential
for outbreaks of the disease beyond the Far East Asia. The sero-prevalence of SFTSV in healthy
people is not significantly different among age groups, but clinically diagnosed SFTS patients are
older than ~50 years, suggesting that age is the critical risk factor for SFTS morbidity and mortality.
No effective vaccines are currently available for SFTSV. The goal of this proposal is to
comprehensively test and compare the immunogenicity and protection efficacy of four SFTSV-
specific vaccine candidates against lethal SFTSV infection in age-dependent ferret model.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10451811
- **Project number:** 5R01AI152190-03
- **Recipient organization:** CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COM-CWRU
- **Principal Investigator:** Jae U Jung
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $564,500
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-08-03 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10451811

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10451811, Tickborne SFTS Virus Vaccine Development (5R01AI152190-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10451811. Licensed CC0.

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