Detection of Bartonella species from ticks, mites and small mammals in Korea

We investigated the prevalence of Bartonella infections in ticks, mites and small mammals (rodents, insectivores and weasels) collected during 2001 through 2004, from various military installations and training sites in Korea, using PCR and sequence analysis of 16S rRNA, 23S rRNA and groEL heat shock protein genes. The prevalence of Bartonella spp. was 5.2% (n=1,305 sample pools) in ticks, 19.1% (n=21) in mesostigmatid mites and 13.7% (n=424 individuals) in small mammals. The prevalence within the family Ixodidae was, 4.4% (n=1,173) in Haemaphysalis longicornis (scrub tick), 2.7% (n=74) in H. flava, 5.0% (n=20) in Ixodes nipponensis, 11.1% (n=9) in I. turdus, 33.3% (n=3) in I. persulcatus and 42.3% (n=26) in Ixodes spp. ticks.