Parasites, Hosts and Diseases

The Korea Society for Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (대한기생충학·열대의학회)
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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

  • Kim, Heung-Chul (5th Medical Detachment, 168th Multifunctional Medical Detachment) ;
  • Lee, In-Yong (Department of Environmental Medical Biology, Yonsei University College of Medicine) ;
  • Chong, Sung-Tae (5th Medical Detachment, 168th Multifunctional Medical Detachment) ;
  • Richards, Allen L. (Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department. Naval Medical Research Center) ;
  • Gu, Se-Hun (Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Korea University) ;
  • Song, Jin-Won (Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Korea University) ;
  • Lee, John S. (Virology Division, 1425 Porter Street, US. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases) ;
  • Klein, Terry A. (Force Health Protection and Preventive Medicine, 65th Medical Brigade/USAMEDDAC-Korea)
  • Received : 2010.04.18
  • Accepted : 2010.07.09
  • Published : 2010.09.30
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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. pal pale (15.7%), Neotrombicula tam/yai (14.3%), L. orientate (10.7%), L. zetum (3.1%), Walchia fragilis (2.1%), and L. gemiticutum (0.8%), while the remaining 3 species, L subintennedium, 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. palpate (21.4), were observed during the spring season.

Keywords

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