Korean J Parasitol.
2010 Sep;48(3):237-243. 10.3347/kjp.2010.48.3.237.
Serosurveillance of Scrub Typhus in Small Mammals Collected from Military Training Sites near the DMZ, Northern Gyeonggi-do, Korea, and Analysis of the Relative Abundance of Chiggers from Mammals Examined
- Affiliations
-
- 15th Medical Detachment, 168th Multifunctional Medical Detachment, 65th Medical Brigade, Unit # 15247, APO AP 96205-5247, USA.
- 2Department of Environmental Medical Biology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752, Korea. iylee02@yuhs.ac
- 3Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD 20910-7500, USA.
- 4Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 136-705, Korea.
- 5Virology Division, 1425 Porter Street, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD 21702-5011, USA.
- 6Force Health Protection and Preventive Medicine, 65th Medical Brigade/USAMEDDAC-Korea, Unit # 15281, APO AP 96205-5281, USA.
- KMID: 1097487
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2010.48.3.237
Abstract
- Comprehensive quarterly serosurveillance on scrub typhus in small mammals collected from military training sites located near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), northern Gyeonggi-do (Province), ROK was conducted to determine the potential rodent-borne and associated ectoparasite disease risks to military personnel. A total of 1,196 rodents and insectivores representing 8 species, Apodemus agrarius (87.3%, n = 1,044), Mus musculus (5.4%, n = 65), Crocidura lasiura (3.3%, n = 40), Microtus fortis (2.6%, n = 31), Micromys minutus (0.3%, n = 4), Tscherskia triton (0.3%, n = 4), Rattus norvegicus (0.3%, n = 4), and Myodes regulus (0.3%, n = 4) were assayed for the presence of antibodies to Orientia tsutsugamushi. O. tsutsugamushi antibodies were detected in 6 of 8 species and seroprevalence determined; A. agrarius (45.6%), M. musculus (23.1%), M. fortis (48.4%), M. minutus (50.0%), T. triton (50.0%), and R. norvegicus (25.0%). A total of 31,184 chigger mites collected from 508 rodents and insectivores were slide-mounted and 10 species belonging to 4 genera were identified. Leptotrombidium pallidum (53.4%) was the most frequently collected, followed by L. palpale (15.7%), Neotrombicula tamiyai (14.3%), L. orientale (10.7%), L. zetum (3.1%), Walchia fragilis (2.1%), and L. gemiticulum (0.8%), while the remaining 3 species, L. subintermedium, N. gardellai, and Euschoengastia koreaensis were rarely observed (prevalence < 10%). In contrast to previous surveys, higher chigger indices of the primary scrub typhus vectors, L. pallidum (165.4), L. orientale (45.0), and L. palpale (21.4), were observed during the spring season.
MeSH Terms
-
Animals
Antibodies, Bacterial/immunology
Arachnid Vectors/classification/*microbiology
Disease Reservoirs/classification/microbiology/*parasitology
Humans
Military Facilities
Orientia tsutsugamushi/*immunology/isolation & purification
Republic of Korea
Rodentia/classification/*immunology/microbiology/*parasitology
Scrub Typhus/microbiology/*transmission/*veterinary
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Trombiculidae/classification/*microbiology
- Full Text Links
-
- Actions
-
Cited
- CITED
-
- Close
- Share
-
- Similar articles
-
- Seroepidemiological Survey of Zoonotic Diseases in Small Mammals with PCR Detection of Orientia tsutsugamushi in Chiggers, Gwangju, Korea
- History of Tsutsugamushi Disease in Korea
- Larval Chigger Mites Collected from Small Mammals in 3 Provinces, Korea
- Prevalence of chigger mites and Orientia tsutsugamushi strains in northern regions of Gangwon-do, Korea
- Monitoring Chigger Mites for Orientia tsutsugamushi in Field Small Mammals in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, 2019-2020
