충북 보은지역의 참진드기류 분포조사 (2016-2020)

This study investigated the seasonal distribution of ticks in Boeun, Chungbuk, South Korea, from 2016 to 2020. Over the five-year period, ticks were collected annually from four different sites. A total of 17,704 ticks belonging to three tick species (Haemaphysalis longicornis, Haemaphysalis flava, and Ixodes nipponensis) were collected. H. longicornis was the dominant species across all four sites with the highest density of 68.40% of the total collected specimens, followed by H. flava (3.53%) and I. nipponensis (0.06%). The larvae of unidentified species were also collected: 11.81 T.I. (28.01%). The H. longicornis population peaked during the spring season (May– June), whereas the larval population peaked during August and September. H. longicornis was collected the most from four sites (coniferous forest, broad-leaf forest, mountain path, and copse), with the exception of the larvae, which was collected the most in grassland and grave. H. flava was collected from all sites, but in a small proportion. The SFTS virus was not found in any of the 828 pools of ticks during 2016–2020. Based on the results of this study, the continuous surveillance of the tick population is recommended to mitigate the spread of diseases by these vectors.