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Park JW, Kim SH, Park DW, Jung SH, Park HJ, Seo MH, Song HJ, Lee JY, Kim DM, Kim CM, Gill BC, Jeong HJ, Lee JM, Ha DR, Kim ES, Chung JK. Molecular Epidemiology of an Orientia tsutsugamushi Gene Encoding a 56-kDa Type-Specific Antigen in Chiggers, Small Mammals, and Patients from the Southwest Region of Korea. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2018; 98:616-624. [PMID: 29313468 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.17-0070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
A phylogenetic analysis of Orientia tsutsugamushi was performed to elucidate its antigenic diversity in chiggers, small mammals, and patients. Between September 2014 and December 2016, a total of 3,816 chiggers were identified within nine species of four genera in the southwest region of Korea: Leptotrombidium scutellare (49.9%; 1,907/3,816), Leptotrombidium orientale (21.1%; 804/3,816), Leptotrombidium pallidum (12.4%; 474/3,816), Euchoengastia koreaensis (7.2%; 273/3,816), Leptotrombidium palpale (6.7%; 256/3,816), Neotrombicular gardellai (1.3%; 50/3,816), Leptotrombidium zetum (0.8%; 32/3,816), Walchia fragilis (0.5%; 18/3,816), and Neotrombicular japonica (> 0.1%; 2/3,816). Twelve chiggers (11 L. scutellare and one L. palpale) tested positive for O. tsutsugamushi by polymerase chain reaction and, except for 1 chigger (KY266830), were part of the Boryong strain cluster. Of the 413 small mammals that were analyzed for O. tsutsugamushi, Apodemus agrarius was the most common rodent species (89.5%; 370/413), followed by Crocidura lasiura (6.8%; 28/413) and Myodes regulus (3.6%; 15/413). The sequence identity of an O. tsutsugamushi sample obtained from the A. agrarius sample population belonged to the Saitama strain cluster. Furthermore, a phylogenetic analysis in 125 patients revealed four clusters (Boryong cluster: 82.4% [103/125], Karp: 13.6% [17/125], Kawasaki: 3.2% [4/125], and Saitama: 0.8% [1/125]). This study clarified the phylogenetic relationship for O. tsutsugamushi in chiggers, small mammals, and patients. The Boryong strain was the most common strain in chiggers and patients. In addition, various strains were identified, except for the Boryong strain, in the southwest region of Korea. Overall, the data presented here will be helpful for the establishment of prevention strategies for scrub typhus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Wook Park
- Division of Infectious disease investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju City, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Sun Hee Kim
- Division of Infectious disease investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju City, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Duck Woong Park
- Division of Infectious disease investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju City, Gwangju, Korea
| | - So Hyang Jung
- Division of Infectious disease investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju City, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Hye Jung Park
- Division of Infectious disease investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju City, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Mi Hee Seo
- Division of Infectious disease investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju City, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Hyeon Je Song
- Clinical Pathology, Gwangju Health University, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Jung Yoon Lee
- Clinical Pathology, Gwangju Health University, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Dong Min Kim
- Departments of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Choon-Mee Kim
- Premedical Science, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Byong Chul Gill
- Division of Zoonoses, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Hang Jin Jeong
- Division of Zoonoses, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Jeong Min Lee
- Division of Zoonoses, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Dong Ryong Ha
- Division of Infectious disease investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju City, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Eun Sun Kim
- Division of Infectious disease investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju City, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Jae Keun Chung
- Division of Infectious disease investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju City, Gwangju, Korea
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Bhate R, Pansare N, Chaudhari SP, Barbuddhe SB, Choudhary VK, Kurkure NV, Kolte SW. Prevalence and Phylogenetic Analysis of Orientia tsutsugamushi in Rodents and Mites from Central India. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2017; 17:749-754. [PMID: 28934071 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2017.2159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Orientia tsutsugamushi, the causative agent of scrub typhus in humans, is an obligate intracytosolic bacterium transmitted among animals and to humans by some species of larval trombiculid mites (chiggers) and is hosted mainly by rodents. In this study, we attempted detection of O. tsutsugamushi from blood and tissue samples of rodents trapped from different locations in Central India using PCR targeting the 56 kDa outer membrane protein gene and the 47 kDa high temperature transmembrane protein gene. A total of 59 rodent samples comprising 38 of blood collected from domestic and public surroundings and 21 of tissue from agricultural farm were included in this study. The 56 kDa outer membrane protein gene was detected from 10 of 59 samples by PCR, and the 47 kDa protein gene was detected from 4 of 59 samples by nested-PCR. Mites collected from the rodents were identified as Ornithonyssus bacoti, and one of five pooled samples was found to be positive for O. tsutsugamushi using PCR targeting 56 kDa outer membrane protein gene. Thus, perpetuation of O. tsutsugamushi among rodents and mites was detected constituting a potential public health concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruchi Bhate
- 1 Centre for Zoonoses, Department of Veterinary Public Health, Nagpur Veterinary College, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University , Nagpur, India
| | - Nilesh Pansare
- 1 Centre for Zoonoses, Department of Veterinary Public Health, Nagpur Veterinary College, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University , Nagpur, India
| | - Sandeep P Chaudhari
- 1 Centre for Zoonoses, Department of Veterinary Public Health, Nagpur Veterinary College, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University , Nagpur, India
| | | | - Vijay K Choudhary
- 2 ICAR-National Institute of Biotic Stress Management , Raipur, India
| | - Nitin V Kurkure
- 1 Centre for Zoonoses, Department of Veterinary Public Health, Nagpur Veterinary College, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University , Nagpur, India
| | - Sunil W Kolte
- 1 Centre for Zoonoses, Department of Veterinary Public Health, Nagpur Veterinary College, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University , Nagpur, India
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Park HS, Lee JH, Jeong EJ, Kim JE, Hong SJ, Park TK, Kim TY, Jang WJ, Park KH, Kim BJ, Kook YH, Lee SH. Rapid and Simple Identification ofOrientia tsutsugamushifrom Other Group Rickettsiae by Duplex PCR Assay UsinggroELGene. Microbiol Immunol 2013; 49:545-9. [PMID: 15965302 DOI: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2005.tb03760.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In this study, two new duplex PCR methods based on the groEL gene were developed and investigated for the diagnosis of rickettsiae. The first duplex PCR assay amplified the 229-bp and the 366-bp DNAs of 6 strains including typhus group (TG) and spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae, and 5 scrub typhus group (STG) rickettsiae, respectively. The second duplex PCR assay amplified the 397-bp and the 213-bp DNAs of 6 Rickettsia strains and 5 STG strains. These duplex PCR methods could simultaneously perform the rapid identification of rickettsiae and the differential diagnosis of STG and other group rickettsiae in a single reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyo-Soon Park
- Department of Microbiology, Konkuk University, Chungju, Chungchongbuk-Do, Korea
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Abstract
The clinical manifestations and complications of scrub typhus are variable. Few studies have examined the timeline of clinical symptoms after the appropriate antimicrobial agents have been administered. The most prevalent clinical manifestations are fever and cough, followed by headache, myalgia, eschar, skin rash, and nausea. Systemic symptoms are most severe during the early stages of illness (i.e., the first 5 days), but resolve slowly within 2 weeks. The associated skin rash is most severe during the first 8 days of infection, but it resolves slowly within 21 days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Hoon Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wonkwang University College of Medicine, Iksan, Republic of Korea
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Abstract
We investigated the persistence of viable Orientia tsutsugamushi in patients who had recovered from scrub typhus. Blood specimens were available from six patients with scrub typhus who were at 1 to 18 months after the onset of the illness. The EDTA-treated blood specimens were inoculated into ECV304 cells, and cultures were maintained for 7 months. Sequencing of the 56-kDa type-specific antigen gene of O. tsutsugamushi was performed to ascertain the homology of isolates. O. tsutsugamushi was isolated from all six patients, and nucleotide sequences of isolates serially collected from each patient were identical in all five patients in whom nucleotide sequences were compared. One patient relapsed 2 days after completion of antibiotic therapy; two patients complained of weakness for 1 to 2.5 months after the illness; one patient underwent coronary angioplasty 6 months later; and one patient suffered from a transient ischemic attack 8 months later. This finding suggests that O. tsutsugamushi causes chronic latent infection, which may be associated with certain clinical illnesses, preceded by scrub typhus. Antibiotic therapy abates the symptoms of scrub typhus, but does not eradicate O. tsutsugamushi from the human body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moon-Hyun Chung
- Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea
| | - Jin-Soo Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea
| | - Ji-hyeon Baek
- Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea
| | - Mijeong Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea
| | - Jae-Seung Kang
- Department of Microbiology, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea
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Kim HC, Klein TA, Kang HJ, Gu SH, Moon SS, Baek LJ, Chong ST, O'Guinn ML, Lee JS, Turell MJ, Song JW. Ecological surveillance of small mammals at Dagmar North Training Area, Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea, 2001-2005. J Vector Ecol 2011; 36:42-54. [PMID: 21635640 DOI: 10.1111/j.1948-7134.2011.00139.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
A seasonal rodent-borne disease surveillance program was established at Dagmar North Training Area located near the demilitarized zone, Republic of Korea, from 2001 through 2005. Selected habitats surveyed included earthen banks separating rice paddies, fighting positions along a 5 m rock-faced earthen berm, and extensive tall grasses with various degrees of herbaceous and scrub vegetation associated with dirt roads, rice paddies, ditches, ponds, or the Imjin River. Of the nine species of small mammals captured, the striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), the primary reservoir for Hantaan virus, was the most frequently collected, representing 92.5% of the 1,848 small mammals captured. Males were captured similarly to females during the spring and summer seasons but were captured less frequently during the fall and winter seasons. Gravid rates were highest in the fall (25.5-57.3%) with the lowest rates during the summer (0.0-2.2%). Capture rates were the lowest along earthen banks separating rice paddies (5.5%) and highest in unmanaged tall grasses and crawling vegetation (15.3-43.5%). An increased knowledge of ecological factors that impact the abundance and distribution of small mammals and the associated ectoparasites and pathogens they harbor is critical for developing accurate disease risk assessments and mitigation strategies for preventing vector- and rodent-borne diseases among soldiers training in field environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heung Chul Kim
- 5th Medical Detachment, 168th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 65th Medical Brigade, Unit 15247, APO AP 96205-5247, USA
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Lee CS, Min IS, Hwang JH, Kwon KS, Lee HB. Clinical significance of hypoalbuminemia in outcome of patients with scrub typhus. BMC Infect Dis 2010; 10:216. [PMID: 20646323 PMCID: PMC2919547 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-10-216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2010] [Accepted: 07/21/2010] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background This study was designed to investigate the clinical significance of hypoalbuminemia as a marker of severity and mortality in patients with Scrub typhus. Methods The patients with scrub typhus were divided into two groups based on the serum albumin levels; Group I (serum albumin <3.0 g/dL) and Group II (serum albumin ≥3.0 g/dL). The outcome of patients with hypoalbuminemia was compared with that of normoalbuminemia. Results Of the total 246 patients who underwent the study, 84 patients (34.1%) were categorized as Group I and 162 patients were (65.9%) as Group II. Group I showed significantly higher incidence of confusion (24.6% vs. 5.3%, p < 0.001), pulmonary edema (15.8% vs. 3.2%, p = 0.002), pleural effusion (22.8% vs. 11.1%, p = 0.03), arrhythmia (12.3% vs. 2.6%, p = 0.008) and non-oliguric acute renal failure (40.4% vs. 11.1%, p < 0.001) compared to group II. Hypoalbuminemic group had a higher APACHE II score (11.37 ± 5.0 vs. 6.94 ± 4.2, p < 0.001), longer hospital stay (19.9 ± 42.1 days vs 7.5 ± 13.8 days, p = 0.012), and higher hospital cost compared to Group II. Conclusions This study showed hypoalbuminemia in scrub typhus was closely related to the frequency of various complication, longer hospital stay, consequently the higher medical cost, necessitating more efficient management of patients, including medical resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Seop Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Geumam-dong, Jeonju 561180, Republic of Korea.
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O'Guinn ML, Klein TA, Lee JS, Richards AL, Kim HC, Ha SJ, Shim SH, Baek LJ, Song KJ, Chong ST, Turell MJ, Burkett DA, Schuster A, Lee IY, Yi SH, Sames WJ, Song JW. Serological surveillance of scrub typhus, murine typhus, and leptospirosis in small mammals captured at firing points 10 and 60, Gyeonggi province, Republic of Korea, 2001-2005. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2010; 10:125-33. [PMID: 19402761 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2008.0123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Soldiers from the Republic of Korea and the United States conducting peacetime military operations at various training sites and multiple range complexes located near the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea are exposed to rodents and their potentially disease-carrying ectoparasites. These diseases include scrub typhus, murine typhus, and leptospirosis. Many of the training sites are rural or semi-rural, surrounded or co-located with various forms of agriculture, and are infested with rodents and insectivores (as well as their ectoparasites), which are commonly found in association with unmanaged tall grasses, scrub, and crawling vegetation habitats. For 5 years, rodents and insectivores were collected seasonally (spring, summer, fall, and winter) at firing points 10 and 60 near the demilitarized zone and serologically tested for the presence of scrub typhus, murine typhus, and leptospirosis antibodies. Of the nine species of small mammals collected, Apodemus agrarius, the common striped field mouse and known reservoir of scrub typhus, was the most frequently collected (90.6%). Only four of the nine species captured, A. agrarius (60.9%), Micromys minutus (100%), Mus musculus (55.6%), and Rattus norvegicus (46.7%), were positive for scrub typhus. Of all the small mammals captured, only A. agrarius was positive for murine typhus (0.3%) and leptospirosis (1.3%). Seasonal and annual prevalence rates based on weight and sex are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica L O'Guinn
- Virology Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA
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Abstract
Scrub typhus is a potentially fatal infectious disease caused by the organism Orientia tsutsugamushi. However, to date, there have been no clearly identified determinants or reports published on the clinical severity of scrub typhus in liver cirrhosis (LC) patients. This study was carried out by retrospectively reviewing medical records accumulated over 7 years at a tertiary hospital. Sixteen patients of 160 had underlying LC, and they were defined as 'cases'; those without underlying LC were defined as 'controls'. The duration of hospital stay (23.0 +/- 24.8 days for cases and 6.8 +/- 7.0 days for controls, p 0.020) and APACHE II scores (14.1 +/- 6.0 for cases and 7.2 +/- 4.6 for controls, p <0.001) were, respectively, significantly longer and significantly higher on admission in the cases than in the controls. Surprisingly, hospital mortality was significantly higher in the cases than in the controls (31.3% and 3.5%, respectively, p 0.001). Among the LC group, the highest Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score during hospitalization (MELD-Peak) (p 0.024) and the lowest blood sodium concentration during hospitalization (MELD-Na-Lo) (p 0.003) were higher in fatal cases than in the survivors (MELD-Na-to). Physicians should be aware of an adverse relationship between LC and scrub typhus, and patients with LC should be advised to avoid exposure to O. tsutsugamushi, particularly in endemic areas and epidemic seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- I-H Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea
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O'Guinn ML, Klein TA, Lee JS, Kim HC, Baek LJ, Chong ST, Turell MJ, Burkett DA, Schuster A, Lee IY, Yi SH, Sames WJ, Song KJ, Song JW. Ecological surveillance of small mammals at Firing Points 10 and 60, Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea, 2001-2005. J Vector Ecol 2008; 33:370-384. [PMID: 19263858 DOI: 10.3376/1081-1710-33.2.370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Throughout Korea, small mammals are hosts to a number of disease-causing agents that pose a health threat to U.S. and Korean military forces while they conduct field-training exercises. A seasonal rodent-borne disease surveillance program was established at two firing points (FP), FP-10, and FP-60, and conducted over five years from 2001 through 2005 in response to hantavirus cases among U.S. soldiers. The ecology of these sites consisted primarily of tall grasses associated with semi-permanent and temporary water sources (drainage ditches and a small stream) and dry-land agriculture farming. Eight species of rodents and one species of insectivore were collected, including Apodemus agrarius, Micromys minutus, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, Tscherskia triton, Microtus fortis, Myodes regulus, and Crocidura lasiura. The striped field mouse, A. agrarius, (primary reservoir for Hantaan virus, the causative agent of Korean hemorrhagic fever), was the most frequently collected, representing 90.6% of the 1,288 small mammals captured at both sites. Reported herein are the ecological parameters, seasonal population densities, and seasonal population characteristics associated with small mammals collected at two military training sites in the Republic of Korea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica L O'Guinn
- Department of Virology, 1425 Porter Street, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD 21702-5011, USA
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Kim KH, Kim NH, Kim M, Kim CJ, Jeon JH, Park WB, Jang WJ, Park SW, Kim IS, Oh MD, Choe KW. A Case of Tsutsugamushi Disease after Traveling to the Philippines. Infect Chemother 2008. [DOI: 10.3947/ic.2008.40.6.333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kye-Hyung Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Nak-Hyun Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Moonsuk Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Chung Jong Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae Hyun Jeon
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Wan Beom Park
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Won-Jong Jang
- Department of Microbiology, Konkuk University, School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sang-Won Park
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ik-Sang Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Myoung-don Oh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kang Won Choe
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Lee JH, Park HS, Jung KD, Jang WJ, Koh SE, Kang SS, Lee IY, Lee WJ, Kim BJ, Kook YH, Park KH, Lee SH. Identification of the spotted fever group rickettsiae detected from Haemaphysalis longicornis in Korea. Microbiol Immunol 2003; 47:301-4. [PMID: 12801068 DOI: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2003.tb03399.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Seven Haemaphysalis ticks were found positive in PCR assay of gltA gene to detect the spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae DNA from 100 ticks. The nucleotide sequence of 16S rRNA gene was determined from 5 ticks and compared to those of other Rickettsia strains. The nucleotide sequence from 4 ticks showed high homologies (99.7 to 100%) with that of R. japonica YH, and that from 1 tick (tick no. 48) was identical with that of R. rickettsii R, suggesting that SFG rickettsiae exists in Korea. This is the first documentation of SFG rickettsiae in Korea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Hee Lee
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Konkuk University, Chungju, Chungchongbuk-Do 380-701, Korea
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Lee JH, Park HS, Jang WJ, Koh SE, Kim JM, Shim SK, Park MY, Kim YW, Kim BJ, Kook YH, Park KH, Lee SH. Differentiation of rickettsiae by groEL gene analysis. J Clin Microbiol 2003; 41:2952-60. [PMID: 12843026 PMCID: PMC165385 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.41.7.2952-2960.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The nucleotide sequences (534 to 546 bp) of the groEL gene, which encodes the 60-kDa heat shock protein GroEL, from 15 rickettsial strains were determined and compared. In the phylogenetic tree created by the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages and the neighbor-joining method, rickettsial strains could be distinguished from Ehrlichia strains. Five spotted fever group strains, four typhus group strains, and six scrub typhus group (STG) strains were differentiated as distinct entities. Unlike gltA and ompA gene analyses, differentiation between members of the genus Rickettsia and the STG rickettsiae by groEL gene analysis was possible. In comparison with 16S rRNA gene analysis, the groEL gene has a higher degree of divergence among the rickettsiae. We therefore successfully developed rapid differentiation methods, PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and a species-specific PCR, based on the groEL gene sequences. Four Korean isolates were identified by these methods and groEL gene analysis. The results suggest that the groEL gene is useful for the identification and characterization of rickettsiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Hee Lee
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Konkuk University, Chungju, Chungchongbuk-Do 380-701, Korea
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