title: Isolation and characterization of Orientia tsutsugamushi from rodents captured following a scrub typhus outbreak at a military training base, Bothong district, Chonburi province, central Thailand.
abstract: Orientia tsutsugamushi, an obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterium, is the causative agent of scrub typhus, a vector-borne disease transmitted by infected chiggers (trombiculid mite larvae). In 2002, an outbreak of scrub typhus occurred among Royal Thai Army troops during the annual field training at a military base in Bothong district, Chonburi province, central Thailand. This report describes the outbreak investigation including its transmission cycle. Results showed that 33.9% of 174 trained troops had scrub typhus-like signs and symptoms and 9.8% of those were positive for O. tsutsugamushi-specific antibodies by indirect fluorescence antibody assay. One hundred thirty-five rodents were captured from this training area, 43% of them had antibodies against O. tsutsugamushi. Six new O. tsutsugamushi isolates were obtained from captured rodent tissues and successfully established in cell culture. Phylogenetic studies showed that these six isolates were either unique or related to a native genotype of previously described isolates from Thailand.
authors: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand. wuttikornr@afrims.go.th
authors: Wuttikon
authors: W
authors: Rodkvamtook
authors: Toon
authors: T
authors: Ruang-Areerate
authors: Jariyanart
authors: J
authors: Gaywee
authors: Allen L
authors: AL
authors: Richards
authors: Pimmada
authors: P
authors: Jeamwattanalert
authors: Dharadhida
authors: D
authors: Bodhidatta
authors: Noppadon
authors: N
authors: Sangjun
authors: Anchana
authors: A
authors: Prasartvit
authors: Araya
authors: A
authors: Jatisatienr
authors: Chaiwat
authors: C
authors: Jatisatienr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D012285:Orientia tsutsugamushi / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012377:Rodentia / Q000382:microbiology*; D012612:Scrub Typhus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult; D015047:Zoonoses