Natural foci of tsutsugamushi disease in the Nan Peng Lie Islands in China.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate natural foci of tsutsugamushi disease whose incidence has increased in the Nan Peng Lie Islands in China, an area where this disease has not been previously recorded.


METHODS
We recorded the natural foci and isolated Orientia tsutsugamushi (O. tsutsugamushi) organism. We also studied prevention measures.


RESULTS
These islands had the natural foci of a south subtropical zone. The main host and vector were Rattus norvegicus and Leptotrombidium deliens (L. deliens), respectively. The seasonal quantity trends of Rattus norvegicus and Leptotrombidium deliens were consistent with the incidence of human infection. Thirty-five strains of O. tsutsugamushi were isolated from Rattus norvegicus and L. deliense. The identification of 7 strains showed that most strains were Karp. Seroepidemiology showed a high prevalence of antibody against O. tsatsugamushi among local people. After prevention measures were used, the incidence was decreased.


CONCLUSIONS
This was the first successful confirmation that the Nan Peng Lie Islands were natural foci of tsutsugamushi disease.
Wang
Shanshan
S
Department of Epidemiology, Medical Institute, Guangzhou Command PLA, Guangzhou 510507, China.
Huang
Jialiang
J
Peng
Guifu
G
Jiang
Pulin
P
Zheng
Nianhua
N
Liu
Jinhua
J
Zhu
Shaofan
S
Wang
Zhibin
Z
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D002417:Cattle; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D012285:Orientia tsutsugamushi / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D051381:Rats; D012612:Scrub Typhus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012621:Seasons; D012756:Sheep; D013045:Species Specificity; D014329:Tropical Climate
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial