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29 November 2021 Detection of Orientia tsutsugamushi in Novel Trombiculid Mite Species in Northern Tamil Nadu, India: Use of Targeting the Multicopy traD Gene
John Antony Jude Prakash, Kannan Kamarasu, P. Philip Samuel, Renu Govindarajan, Punitha Govindasamy, Liji Anna Johnson, P. Ramalingam, J. Nirmalson, K. C. Seran
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Abstract

Detection of Orientia tsutsugamushi DNA in a trombiculid mite chigger species suggests that it might be a potential vector of scrub typhus in an endemic area. Over a period of 20 mo, 85 rats were trapped, 57 had chiggers that were identified by standard morphometric techniques. The chigger pools were assessed by performing PCR assays targeting fragments of the single-copy genes 56 kDa type-specific antigen gene (TSA56) by nested PCR and the 47 kDa (htrA) quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The novel traD SYBR green assay that detects a multicopy gene was also performed. In total, 27 chigger pools were positive by traD qPCR, of which only 7 were positive by 47 kDa qPCR and in 3 of these, 56 kDa gene was amplified by nested PCR. Orientia tsutsugamushi-specific DNA was detected in Ascoschoengastia spp., Schoengastiella ligula, Leptotrombidium rajasthanense, Leptotrombidium deliense, and Leptotrombidium jayawickremei chigger pools. Therefore, they could be potential vectors of scrub typhus in Southern India. The three 56 kDa sequences belonged to TA716 genotype and Kato genogroup. Further studies are needed to confirm these chigger species as scrub typhus vectors in Northern Tamil Nadu.

© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
John Antony Jude Prakash, Kannan Kamarasu, P. Philip Samuel, Renu Govindarajan, Punitha Govindasamy, Liji Anna Johnson, P. Ramalingam, J. Nirmalson, and K. C. Seran "Detection of Orientia tsutsugamushi in Novel Trombiculid Mite Species in Northern Tamil Nadu, India: Use of Targeting the Multicopy traD Gene," Journal of Medical Entomology 59(2), 693-699, (29 November 2021). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjab180
Received: 2 July 2021; Accepted: 5 October 2021; Published: 29 November 2021
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KEYWORDS
Ascoschoengastia
Leptotrombidium
Schoengastiella
scrub typhus
traD
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