title: Natural foci of tsutsugamushi disease in the Nan Peng Lie Islands in China.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Medical Institute, Guangzhou Command PLA, Guangzhou 510507, China.
authors.forename: Shanshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jialiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Guifu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Pulin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Nianhua
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jinhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shaofan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Zhibin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial