A total of 9,281 larval chigger mites were collected from small mammals captured at Hwaseong-gun, Gyeonggi-do (Province) (2,754 mites from 30 small mammals), Asan city, Chungcheongnam-do (3,358 mites from 48 mammals), and Jangseong-gun, Jeollanam-do (3,169 for 62 mammals) from April-November 2009 in the Republic of Korea (= Korea) and were identified to species. Leptotrombidium pallidum was the predominant species in Hwaseong (95.8%) and Asan (61.2%), while Leptotrombidium scutellare was the predominant species collected from Jangseong (80.1%). Overall, larval chigger mite indices decreased from April (27.3) to June (4.9), then increased in September (95.2) and to a high level in November (169.3). These data suggest that L. pallidum and L. scutellare are the primary vectors of scrub typhus throughout their range in Korea. While other species of larval chigger mites were also collected with some implications in the transmission of Orientia tsutsugamushi, they only accounted for 11.2% of all larval chigger mites collected from small mammals.
Animals ; Arachnid Vectors ; Larva/*microbiology ; Orientia tsutsugamushi/*isolation & purification ; Republic of Korea ; Rodentia ; Scrub Typhus/*microbiology ; Trombiculidae/*classification/*microbiology

OBJECTIVETo explore the fact that the east border of Heilongjiang had been a lyme disease natural focus,we investigated the species and distribution of ticks and isolated bacteria from ticks and identified genomic species of Borrelia burdorferi sensu lato. This study provided evidence for prevention and control of lyme disease.

METHODSTicks were caught by flagging method and Direct immunofluorescence method was used to detect the rate of bacteria borne by the tick. BSK UI culture medium was used to isolate the agent and Specific McAbs were used to identify the bacteria. SDS-PAGE protein profile and PCR-RFLP method were also used to identify the species of Spirochetes.

RESULTSTicks, collected from China-Russia border of east Heilongiiang province were classified including Ixodes persulcatus Schulze, Dermacentor sivarum Olener, Haemaphysalis concinna Kock,and Haemaphysalis japonica Kock. We found that the distributon of ticks was different under different circumstances and the predominant species were also different in different ports. The rate of bacteria borne by Iodes persulaatus Schulze was 31.4% ,by Dermacentor sivarum Olener and Haemaphysalis concinna Kock were 2.2% and 3.8%, respectively. However,it was negative for Haenaphysalis japonica Kock. Spirochetes isolated from Ixodes persulcatus Schulze were collected from Dongning and Tongjiang while Genomic species of Spirochetes, isolated from ticks of the border belonged to B. garinii.

CONCLUSIONAll the results showed that the east border of Heilongjiang province was the natural focus of lyme disease.

Animals ; Arachnid Vectors ; classification ; microbiology ; Borrelia burgdorferi ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; China ; Humans ; Lyme Disease ; microbiology ; Russia ; Ticks ; classification ; microbiology

Deer serve as reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens that impact on medical and veterinary health worldwide. In the Republic of Korea, the population of Korean water deer (KWD, Hydropotes inermis argyropus) has greatly increased from 1982 to 2011, in part, as a result of reforestation programs established following the Korean War when much of the land was barren of trees. Eighty seven Haemaphysalis flava, 228 Haemaphysalis longicornis, 8 Ixodes nipponensis, and 40 Ixodes persulcatus (21 larvae, 114 nymphs, and 228 adults) were collected from 27 out of 70 KWD. A total of 89/363 ticks (266 pools, 24.5% minimum infection rate) and 5 (1.4%) fed ticks were positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum using nested PCR targeting the 16S rRNA and groEL genes, respectively. The 16S rRNA gene fragment sequences of 88/89 (98.9%) of positive samples for A. phagocytophilum corresponded to previously described gene sequences from KWD spleen tissues. The 16S rRNA gene fragment sequences of 20/363 (5.5%) of the ticks were positive for A. bovis and were identical to previously reported sequences. Using the ITS specific nested PCR, 11/363 (3.0%) of the ticks were positive for Bartonella spp. This is the first report of Anaplasma and Bartonella spp. detected in ticks collected from KWD, suggesting that ticks are vectors of Anaplasma and Bartonella spp. between reservoir hosts in natural surroundings.
Anaplasma/genetics/*physiology ; Animals ; Arachnid Vectors/microbiology ; Bartonella/genetics/*physiology ; Chaperonin 60/genetics ; Deer/parasitology ; Disease Reservoirs/veterinary ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Ticks/*microbiology

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.
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

OBJECTIVETo study the biological character of Hepialus introduced from Yunnan province.

METHODH. jianchuanensis introduced from Yunnan was bred artificially to observe its biological character.

RESULTThe pupa duration was about 40 d, pupa emergence lasted for one day, female to male ratio was about 1.2:1, the mating peak was 19:30-20:30, the adults duration was about 25 d, the average life time of female was 5-6 d and that of male 6-7 d, the average number of the producing egg was about 300, the average weight of the 100 eggs was 10.33 mg. Lasting period of the larva is 350 d and the infancy larva showed the character of the polyphagy and cold endurance.

CONCLUSIONResults indicate that there are some differences in the whole duration, weight of the 100 eggs and the number of the eggs left in the abdomen between H. jianchuanensis and others bred at the Kangding base.

Animals ; Arachnid Vectors ; microbiology ; physiology ; China ; Cold Temperature ; Feeding Behavior ; physiology ; Female ; Larva ; anatomy & histology ; physiology ; Male ; Moths ; anatomy & histology ; physiology ; Oviposition ; physiology ; Ovum ; physiology ; Pupa ; physiology

Severe tick infestation was found in a hare in a suburban area of Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China. We sampled ticks and identified them based on their morphologic characteristics. Three species, Ixodes sinensis, which is commonly found in China and can experimentally transmit Borrelia burgdorferi, Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides, and Haemaphysalis longicornis which can transmit Lyme disease were detected with an optical microscope and a stereomicroscope. Risk of spreading ticks from suburban to urban areas exists due to human transportation and travel between the infested and non-infested areas around Nanchang.
Animals ; Arachnid Vectors/*classification/microbiology ; Borrelia burgdorferi/physiology ; China ; Fatal Outcome ; Female ; Hares/*parasitology ; Humans ; Ixodidae/*classification/microbiology ; Lyme Disease/microbiology/*transmission ; Male ; Risk ; Tick Infestations/parasitology/transmission/*veterinary

OBJECTIVETo study the existence of Ehrluichiosis, lyme disease and tick-borne spotted fever coinfection in some areas in China.

METHODSUsing polymerase chain reaction (PCR), B. burgdorferi sensu lato, spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsiae and human granulocytic ehrlichia (HGE), Ehrlichia chaffeensis (EC) were detected in ticks and mouse samples collected from Inner Mogolia autonomous region, Heilongjiang province, Beijing and Fujian province.

RESULTS408 Ixodes persulcatus collected from Inner Mogolia autonomous region, HGE and B. burgdorferi sensu lato and SFG Rickettsiae were detected positive, with rates as 6.8%, 7.8%, 45.6%, respectively. 5 (5/408) were coinfection with HGE and B. burgdorferi sensu lato while 1 (1/408) was coinfection with HGE and SFG Rickettsiae. 46 Ixodes persulcatus collected from Helongjiang province were determined positive, with rates as 6.5%, 10.8% and 34.8%, respectively including 1 (1/46) coinfected with HGE and B. burgdorferi sensu lato. 2 of 922 ticks collected from Beijing were detected positive with B. burgdorferi sensu lato. Among 283 groups of Haemaphysalis yeni ticks (3/group) and from 38 rodent samples collected from Ninghua county of Fujian province HCE and B. burgdorferi sensu lato and SFG Rickettsiae were detected. Out of them, 25 groups were positive with EC and the minimal positive rate was 3.8% while 21 rodent samples were positive with EC with a positive rate of 56.4%. 2 ticks and 1 rodent sample were detected positive with EC and spotted fever group.

CONCLUSIONCoinfection of HGE and B. burgdorferi sensu lato or spotted fever group Richi did exist in Ixodes persulcatus collected from Inner Mogolia autonomous region and Heilongjiang province. Coinfection of EC and spotted fever group Richi was found in the ticks and rodents collected from Fujian province.

Animals ; Arachnid Vectors ; Borrelia burgdorferi Group ; isolation & purification ; China ; epidemiology ; DNA, Bacterial ; analysis ; Disease Vectors ; Ehrlichia ; isolation & purification ; Ehrlichiosis ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Ixodes ; microbiology ; Lyme Disease ; epidemiology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rats ; Rickettsia ; isolation & purification ; Rickettsia Infections ; epidemiology ; Rodentia ; microbiology ; Tick-Borne Diseases ; epidemiology ; Ticks ; microbiology

Monthly surveys were conducted to investigate the occurrence of chigger mites and seroprevalence of scrub typhus among small mammals in Jeollanam-do, the southwestern part of Korea, from November 2006 through October 2007. Fifty-eight small mammals, including 57 Apodemus agrarius (98.3%) and 1 Crocidura lasiura (1.7%), were captured, and a total of 4,675 chigger mites representing 4 genera and 8 species were collected from them. The chigger infestation rate among small mammals was 69.0%. The most predominant species in A. agrarius was Leptotrombidium scutellare (54.0%), followed by Leptotrombidium pallidum (39.4%), Leptotrombidium orientale (4.4%), Leptotrombidium palpale (1.1%), Neotrombicula tamiyai (0.6%), Eushoengastia koreaensis (0.3%), Neotrombicula gardellai (0.3%), and Cheladonta ikaoensis (<0.1%). The chigger index of A. agrarius was the highest in October (740.0), followed by November (242.0), September (134.6), March (98.3), February (38.2), January (35.3), December (34.5), April (30.8), and May (1.7). The average antibody positive rate of scrub typhus in wild rodents was 50.0%. The seropositive rates were high in October (100.0%) and November (83.3%), whereas those in other months were relatively low (28.6-57.1%). The chigger index of L. scutellare rapidly increased in September to form an acuminate peak in October, followed by a gradual decline. These results suggest that the outbreak of scrub typhus in the southwestern part of Korean peninsula is mostly due to L. scutellare.
Animals ; Antibodies, Bacterial/blood ; Antibody Specificity ; Arachnid Vectors/*microbiology ; *Disease Reservoirs ; Humans ; Murinae/parasitology ; Orientia tsutsugamushi/*immunology ; Population Dynamics ; Public Health Surveillance ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Rodent Diseases/parasitology/transmission ; Scrub Typhus/epidemiology/*transmission ; Seasons ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Shrews/parasitology ; Species Specificity ; Trombiculiasis/parasitology/veterinary ; Trombiculidae/*microbiology