Longitudinal study of Orthohantavirus hantanense in Apodemus agrarius and disease risk assessment in the Republic of Korea during 2000-2019.

Orthohantavirus hantanense (HTNV) is a zoonotic pathogen transmitted by rodents and the causative agent of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in East Asia. Long-term reservoir population ecology studies have enhanced our understanding of hantavirus infection patterns and support disease risk assessments critical for military and civilian populations in HTNV high-risk areas. Here, we evaluated fluctuations in the population dynamics of Apodemus agrarius, the primary reservoir of HTNV, assessed hantavirus seroprevalence, and conducted a descriptive analysis of HFRS disease risks in the Republic of Korea (ROK).

The genetic trail of the invasive mosquito species Aedes koreicus from the east to the west of Northern Italy.

Background: Aedes koreicus is native to Far East Asia and recorded in Europe since 2008. In Italy, Ae. koreicus is widespread throughout the Northern part of the peninsula, highlighting its invasive potential and spread.

Insecticide resistance mutations of Anopheles species in the Republic of Korea.

The number of reported malaria cases transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes in the Republic of Korea (ROK) increased from 420 in 2022 to 746 in 2023, a 77.6% increase. Eight Anopheles species are currently reported in the ROK, including six species belonging to the Anopheles Hyrcanus Group and one species each belonging to the Barbirostris Group and Lindesayi Group.

Seasonal fluctuation of insecticide resistance mutation frequencies in field populations of Anopheles and Culex species in Korea.

Members of the Anopheles Hyrcanus Group, Culex pipiens complex, and Culex tritaeniorhynchus are prevalent vector species in the Republic of Korea (ROK), transmitting Plasmodium vivax and various arboviruses. Extensive use of insecticides to control these mosquitoes has led to insecticide resistance. In this study, we monitored 3 target site mutations associated with insecticide resistance (kdr for pyrethroid resistance, ace1 for organophosphate resistance, and rdl for phenylpyrazole resistance) in these mosquito groups over four consecutive years to understand the seasonal dynamics of resistance in different areas with distinct ecological characteristics.

Analysis of geometric morphometrics and molecular phylogeny for Anopheles species in the Republic of Korea.

Human malaria, transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes, is the most predominant mosquito-borne disease that is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide each year. In the Republic of Korea (ROK), there are currently several hundred malaria cases annually, mostly near the demilitarized zone (DMZ). Eight species of Anopheles mosquitoes are currently known to be present in the ROK.

Toxoplasma gondii and Rickettsia spp. in ticks collected from migratory birds in the Republic of Korea.

Migratory birds disperse ticks and associated tick-borne pathogens along their migratory routes. Four selected pathogens of medical importance (Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia spp., Francisella tularensis, and Toxoplasma gondii) were targeted for detection in 804 ticks (365 pools) collected from migratory birds at Hong and Heuksan Islands in the Republic of Korea (ROK) from 2010 to 2011 and 2016.

Introduction of Non-Native Ticks Collected from Fresh Migratory Bird Carcasses on a Stopover Island in the Republic of Korea.

When free-ranging birds are accidentally killed or die, there may be greater potential for their associated ticks to detach, seek alternate hosts, and become established. We examined 711 carcasses of 95 avian species for ticks at a stopover island of migratory birds in the Republic of Korea where only Ixodes nipponensis and I. persulcatus were previously reported from local mammals and vegetation.

Vector Competence and the Susceptibility of Anopheles pullus and Anopheles belenrae to Plasmodium vivax-Infected Blood From Thai Patients.

There are eight Anopheles spp. present in the Republic of Korea (ROK), including five members of the Anopheles Hyrcanus Group that cannot be identified using current morphological methods. The vector competence of only Anopheles sinensis s.

Discovery and Genetic Characterization of Novel Paramyxoviruses Related to the Genus in Species in the Republic of Korea.

Paramyxoviruses, negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses, pose a critical threat to human public health. Currently, 78 species, 17 genera, and 4 subfamilies of paramyxoviruses are harbored by multiple natural reservoirs, including rodents, bats, birds, reptiles, and fish. Henipaviruses are critical zoonotic pathogens that cause severe acute respiratory distress and neurological diseases in humans.

Surveillance and Molecular Identification of Borrelia Species in Ticks Collected at U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, Republic of Korea, 2018-2019.

Tick-borne pathogens are contributing factors for the increased incidence of vector-borne diseases throughout the world, including Lyme borreliosis, one of the most prevalent spirochetes belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato group. The present study focused on the detection of Borrelia species from hard ticks collected at U.S.

Novel viruses in hard ticks collected in the Republic of Korea unveiled by metagenomic high-throughput sequencing analysis.

Ticks are vectors of a wide range of zoonotic viruses of medical and veterinary importance. Recently, metagenomics studies demonstrated that they are also the source of potentially pathogenic novel viruses. During the period from 2015 to 2017, questing ticks were collected by dragging the vegetation from geographically distant locations in the Republic of Korea (ROK) and a target-independent high-throughput sequencing method was utilized to study their virome.

Metagenomic analysis reveals Culex mosquito virome diversity and Japanese encephalitis genotype V in the Republic of Korea.

Recent outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging viruses have shown that timely detection of novel arboviruses with epidemic potential is essential to mitigate human health risks. There are rising concerns that emergent JEV genotype V (GV) is circulating in Asia, against which current vaccines may not be efficacious. To ascertain if JEV GV and other arboviruses are circulating in East Asia, we conducted next-generation sequencing on 260 pools of Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Culex bitaeniorhynchus mosquitoes (6540 specimens) collected at Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea (ROK) in 2018.

Prediction of species composition ratios in pooled specimens of the Anopheles Hyrcanus group using quantitative sequencing.

Background: Plasmodium vivax is transmitted by members of the Anopheles Hyrcanus Group that includes six species in the Republic of Korea: Anopheles sinensis sensu stricto (s.s.), Anopheles pullus, Anopheles kleini, Anopheles belenrae, Anopheles lesteri, and Anopheles sineroides.

Novel Paju Apodemus paramyxovirus 1 and 2, harbored by Apodemus agrarius in the Republic of Korea.

Paramyxoviruses harbored by multiple natural reservoirs pose a potential threat to public health. Jeilongvirus has been proposed as a novel paramyxovirus genus found in rodents, bats, and cats. Paramyxovirus RNA was detected in 108/824 (13.

Multiplex PCR assay for the identification of eight Anopheles species belonging to the Hyrcanus, Barbirostris and Lindesayi groups.

Background: Genus Anopheles mosquitoes are the primary vectors of human malaria, which is a serious threat to public health worldwide. To reduce the spread of malaria and identify the malaria infection rates in mosquitoes, accurate species identification is needed. Malaria re-emerged in 1993 in the Republic of Korea (ROK), with numbers peaking in 2004 before decreasing to current levels.

Molecular Detection and Phylogeny of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Ticks Collected from Dogs in the Republic of Korea.

Ticks are important vectors of various pathogens that result in clinical illnesses in humans and domestic and wild animals. Information regarding tick infestations and pathogens transmitted by ticks is important for the identification and prevention of disease. This study was a large-scale investigation of ticks collected from dogs and their associated environments in the Republic of Korea (ROK).

Multiplex PCR-Based Nanopore Sequencing and Epidemiological Surveillance of in , Republic of Korea.

Whole-genome sequencing of infectious agents enables the identification and characterization of emerging viruses. The MinION device is a portable sequencer that allows real-time sequencing in fields or hospitals. (Hantaan virus, HTNV), harbored by , causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and poses a critical public health threat worldwide.

A Clinical Case of Scrub Typhus in the United States Forces Korea Patient with Eschar and Genetic Identification of Using Multiplex PCR-Based Next-Generation Sequencing.

An epidemiological investigation was conducted for a scrub typhus case reported in a U.S. Forces Korea military patient in the Republic of Korea in November 2018.

Tick-borne rickettsiae in Midwestern region of Republic of Korea.

To identify spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae among ticks collected by dragging at eight sites in three provinces of the midwestern region of the Republic of Korea (ROK), genus- and species-specific quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assays and sequencing were performed. DNA was extracted from a total of 2,312 ticks that were assayed individually (n=140) or in pools (n=444), resulting in a total of 584 individual and pooled tick samples. The 584 tick samples were screened with the genus-specific qPCR assay (Rick17b) and produced 265 (45.