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Korean J Parasitol. 2009 Dec;47(4):381-386.
Published online 2009 December 01.  doi: 10.3347/kjp.2009.47.4.381.
Copyright © 2009 by The Korean Society for Parasitology
Geographical Distribution and Relative Abundance of Vectors of Scrub Typhus in the Republic of Korea
In Yong Lee,1 Heung Chul Kim,2 Young-Sun Lee,3 Jang Hoon Seo,4 Jae Won Lim,5 Tae Soon Yong,1 Terry A. Klein,6 and Won Ja Lee7
1Department of Environmental Medical Biology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752, Korea.
25th Medical Detachment, 168th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 65th Medical Brigade, Unit 15247, APO AP 96205-5247, USA.
3Suncheon-si Health Service Center, Suncheon 540-972, Korea.
4Department of Clinical Pathology, Shinheung College, Uijeongbu 480-701, Korea.
5National Institute of Biological Resources, Inchoen 404-708, Korea.
6Force Health Protection and Preventive Medicine, 65th Medical Brigade/US Army MEDDAC-Korea, Unit #15281, APO AP 96205-5281, USA.
7Division of Medical Entomology, Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Health, Seoul 122-701, Korea.

Corresponding author (Email: wonja@nih.go.kr )
Received July 27, 2009; Revised October 08, 2009; Accepted October 14, 2009.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Leptotrombidium, chigger mites, geographical distribution, scrub typhus.
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