关键词: 恙虫病, 宿主动物, 传播媒介

Abstract: Objective To investigate the natural hosts of scrub typhus and the parasitism status on their body surface in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province, China, and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of scrub typhus in the area. Methods In Ganzhou, the host animals were captured in four surveillance sites (Yudu, Xunwu, Ganxian, and Shangyou counties) from September to October in each of 2015 and 2016 using the trap-at-night method. The species of the hosts was identified. The chigger mites on their body surface were subjected to comb inspection to identify the species and calculate chigger index. Results A total of 429 small animals (7 species) were captured, with a capture rate of 8.95%. Of the 7 species, Rattus losea was the dominant species, accounting for 51.75%. There were 188 host animals with chigger mites, and the host animals with chigger mites were mostly R. losea, with an overall chigger infestation rate of 43.82%. The chigger infestation rate was higher in Apodemus agrarius, R. norvegicus, and R. losea. A total of 2 875 chigger mites were captured, with a chigger index of 6.70, and R. norvegicus, A. agrarius, and R. losea had a higher chigger index. The species identification of parasitic mites in the 188 host animals showed that there were 5 species of chigger mites, and Leptotrombidium deliense was the dominant species, accounting for 61.70%. Conclusion Ganzhou is possibly a natural focus of scrub typhus, and the dominant host animal and vector are R. losea and L. deliense, respectively. It is necessary to conduct etiological and epidemiological study for the confirmation and futher evidences on the prevention and control of scrub typhus.

Key words: Scrub typhus, Host animal, Vector