title: Transmission of Orientia tsutsugamushi, the aetiological agent for scrub typhus, to co-feeding mites.
abstract: Experiments were conducted to investigate the potential for transmission of Orientia tsutsugamushi, the aetiological agent for scrub typhus, when naturally infected mite larvae were co-feeding with uninfected larvae. Larvae from colonies of Leptotrombidium deliense and L. imphalum infected with O. tsutsugamushi were used. Transmission of O. tsutsugamushi to previously uninfected L. deliense and Blankaartia acuscutellaris co-fed with infected L. deliense was shown to occur. The overall minimum rate of acquisition was 1.6% (4/258) for L. deliense and 2.5% (3/119) for B. acuscutellaris. When individual infected L. deliense were co-fed with B. acuscutellaris acquisition of O. tsutsugamushi was not detected. However, when 4 and 8 infected larvae were co-fed with B. acuscutellaris acquisition of O. tsutsugamushi was detected. Transmission of O. tsutsugamushi was not observed when uninfected L. deliense were co-fed with infected L. imphalum. This novel transmission route may explain the occurrence of rickettsiae in genera other than Leptotrombidium spp, which are considered to be the main vectors of O. tsutsugamushi.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute for Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand. Steve.Frances.233022@army.defence.gov.au
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Frances
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Watcharapichat
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Phulsuksombati
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tanskul
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000662:veterinary*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D012285:Orientia tsutsugamushi / Q000254:growth & development*; D051381:Rats; D012612:Scrub Typhus / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology; D014324:Trombiculidae / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology