A surveillance of chigger mites was performed to monitor the incidence of scrub typhus vectors at 5 environmental collection points of 3 locations (Muju, Namwon and Gimge) from April 2016 in Jeollabuk-Do, Korea. During the surveillance period, 3,292 chigger mites were collected and the predominant species were Leptotrombidium pallidum (42.9%). The high environmental collecting rates were recorded at reservoir bank (31.6%) and grassfield (29.7%). We detected Orientia tsutsugamushi from the samples collected in Jeollabuk-Do using nested polymerase chain reaction. The specific DNA of O. tsutsugamushi were detected in 11 pools among total 119 pools and its minimum positive rate was 0.35%. In order to clarify the relationship between chigger mites and scrub typhus cases, further survey will be needed.

• Won Il Park(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)
• Seong Yun Kim(Division of Medical Entomology, Center for Immunology and Pathology, NRIH, KCDC)
• Hyung-Woo Lim(Division of Medical Entomology, Center for Immunology and Pathology, NRIH, KCDC)
• Hak Seon Lee(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)
• Kyu-sik Chang(Division of Medical Entomology, 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)