Abstract
Surveys of tsutsugamushi disease rickettsia and the vector trombiculid mites were done by trapping wild rodents and other small animals at the southwestern part of Gifu Prefecture during 1980 to 1984. Eight out of 59 field mice, Apodemus speciosus, were found positive for Rickettsia tsutsugamushi infection. Some of the isolated strains of R. tsutsugamushi were examined by complement fixation and partly by immunofluorescent tests; these belonged to Gilliam or Karp types. Two species of probable vectors, Leptotrombidium pallidum and L. scutellare, were found among the 12 species of trombiculid mites collected from the wild rodents. These results indicate that the surveyed area has been potentially endemic with tsutsugamushi disease since the last investigation carried out in 1950's.
