title: Scrub typhus: vector competence of Leptotrombidium chiangraiensis chiggers and transmission efficacy and isolation of Orientia tsutsugamushi.
abstract: A total of 4,281 rodents, belonging to 20 species, was collected from three villages in Chiangrai Province, northern Thailand, from January 1994 to December 2001. The predominant species were Rattus rattus, R. losea and Bandicota indica, accounting for 96% of the total. More than 135,000 chigger mites were removed from wild rodents of which 1% were identified as Leptotrombidium chiangraiensis, a new species vector of scrub typhus. Five Orientia tsutsugamushi-infected L. chiangraiensis colonies established from chiggers removed from R. rattus and R. losea rodents. The prevalence of O. tsutsugamushi infection in colonies ranged from 7-89%. Vertical and horizontal transmission efficacies of O. tsutsugamushi were stable between generations among colonies of L. chiangraiensis. The two isolates of O. tsutsugamushi obtained from individual adult L. chiangraiensis mites represent the first successful isolation of this bacterium from individual adult mites. Characterization of the O. tsutsugamushi isolates is under way.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, Royal Thai Army Component, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lerdthusnee
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khuntirat
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Leepitakrat
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tanskul
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Monkanna
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khlaimanee
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Inlao
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kengluecha
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mungviriya
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chandranoi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krairojananan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bodhidatta
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rodkwamthook
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Phulsuksombati
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sangjun
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Watcharapichat
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Coleman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D012285:Orientia tsutsugamushi / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D051381:Rats / Q000382:microbiology; D012377:Rodentia / Q000382:microbiology*; D012612:Scrub Typhus / Q000635:transmission*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013785:Thailand; D014324:Trombiculidae / Q000382:microbiology*