Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne zoonosis and SFTS virus is transmitted to humans by tick bites. The aim of this study was to monitor tick population and its SFTS virus infection. During March 2014 to October 2015, ticks were monthly sampled using dry-ice bait trap and flag method from 4 collecting points in Boeun-gun. A total of 16,500 ticks, including 14,646 Haemaphysalis longicornis (88.7%), 1,825 H. flava (11.1%), and 29 Ixodes nipponensis (0.2%), were collected. Ticks were pooled (5,156 ticks in 456 pools) and tested by RT-PCR and nested PCR and the minimum infection rate of ticks was 0.27% (14 pools) consisting of 0.13% H. longicornis (6 pools), 1.19% H. flava (8 pools). This annual surveillance study will be needed for long-term monitoring of ixodid ticks in Korea.

• Seong Yoon Kim(Division of Medical Entomology, Center for Immunology and Pathology, NRIH, KCDC)
• Jong Yul Roh(Division of Medical Entomology, Center for Immunology and Pathology, NRIH, KCDC)
• Bong Gu Song(Division of Medical Entomology, Center for Immunology and Pathology, NRIH, KCDC)
• Won Il Park(Division of Medical Entomology, Center for Immunology and Pathology, NRIH, KCDC)
• Kyu-Sik Chang(Division of Medical Entomology, Center for Immunology and Pathology, NRIH, KCDC)
• Wook-Gyo Lee(Division of Medical Entomology, Center for Immunology and Pathology, NRIH, KCDC)
• Mi-Yeoun Park(Division of Malaria and Parasitic, Center for Immunology and Pathology, NRIH, KCDC)
• Young Ran Ju(Division of Medical Entomology, Center for Immunology and Pathology, NRIH, KCDC)
• E-hyun Shin(Division of Medical Entomology, Center for Immunology and Pathology, NRIH, KCDC)