Geographical distribution and relative abundance of vectors of scrub typhus in the Republic of Korea.
A survey to determine the geographical distribution and relative abundance of potential vectors of scrub typhus was conducted from October to November 2006 at 13 localities throughout the Republic of Korea. Apodemus agrarius accounted for 97.6% (80/82) of all rodents, while only 2 Myodes regulus (2/82) were collected. A total of 10,860 chiggers were collected from A. agrarius belonging to 4 genera and 8 species, while only Walchia fragilis (40) was collected from Myodes regulus. Leptotrombidium pallidum (8,137; 74.9%), a vector of scrub typhus, was the predominant species collected from A. agrarius followed by Leptotrombidium scutellare (2,057, 18.9%), Leptotrombidium palpale (279; 2.7%), Leptotrombidium orientale (232; 2.1%), and Leptotrombidium zetum (79; 0.7%), Neotrombicula tamiyai (58; 0.5%), Euschoengastica koreaensis (16; 0.1%), and Cheladonta ikaoensis (2; < 0.1%). L. pallidum was the predominant chigger collected at collection sites in Gangwon (100%), Gyeonggi (87.2%), Chungnam (100%), Chungbuk (100%), Jeonbuk (73.9%), Jeonnam (77.0%), and Gyeongbuk (66.1%) provinces, whereas L. scutellare was the predominant chigger collected in Gyeongnam province (77.9%) and Jeju Island (62.3%). Data suggest a correlation between chigger population abundance and human cases of scrub typhus in Korea.
Lee
In Yong
IY
Department of Environmental Medical Biology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752, Korea.
Kim
Heung Chul
HC
Lee
Young-Sun
YS
Seo
Jang Hoon
JH
Lim
Jae Won
JW
Yong
Tae Soon
TS
Klein
Terry A
TA
Lee
Won Ja
WJ
D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000469:parasitology*; D004199:Disease Vectors; D005843:Geography; D008925:Mites / Q000382:microbiology*; D051189:Murinae / Q000469:parasitology*; D012285:Orientia tsutsugamushi / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012612:Scrub Typhus / Q000635:transmission