1983年日本20个都府县发生了672名恙虫病(病原体为立克次体)患者,引起有关方面的注意。现在流行的恙虫病有如下特点:1.与过去的红恙虫不同,据国立预防卫生研究所大谷明部长证实,这是一种地里恙虫。红恙虫只生活在河川流域,而这个“新品种”恙虫生活在辽阔的森林原野、草丛、灌木丛。寄生宿主可能是野鼠。2.因此,过去的发病多在新泻、山形、秋田一部分河川流域;而现在则扩展到山区。3.没有红恙虫那样毒性,因而症状轻微。去年只新泻有1例死亡。 In 1983, there were 672 patients with tsutsugamushi (pathogen Rickettsia) in 20 prefectures in Japan, attracting the attention of relevant parties. Now the popular scrub typhus has the following characteristics: 1. Unlike the previous scrub typhus, according to the National Institute of Preventive Health, Minister Otani confirmed that this is a ground scrub. Red mite living only in the river basin, and the “new breed” of the scrub typhus living in the vast wilderness, grass, shrubs. Parasitic host may be wild rats. 2. As a result, the past incidences were mostly in the river basins of Niigata, Yamagata and Akita, but now it extends to mountainous areas. 3. There is no such as red rust mite toxicity, and thus mild symptoms. Last year, there was only one death in Niigata.