Molecular evidence suggestive of transovarial transmission of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus in chigger mites
Abstract
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne viral disease with high case-fatality rates in East Asia. While hard ticks are recognized as the primary vectors of SFTS virus (SFTSV), the detection of SFTSV RNA in chigger mites suggests their involvement in viral maintenance in natural conditions. In this study, wild rodents were captured at 17 sites across the Republic of Korea in 2019, and spleen tissues and mites were collected and tested for SFTSV RNA using RT-PCR. To evaluate transovarial transmission, Leptotrombidium sp. collected from an endemic area were reared under laboratory conditions. Among 56 rodents and 3,402 mites, SFTSV RNA was detected in 3.6% of rodents and 2.3% of mite pools (minimum infection rate of 0.09%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all viral sequences clustered within genotype B. SFTSV RNA was detected in both parental mites and their F1 larvae, providing molecular evidence suggestive of transovarial transmission. This study provides the first molecular evidence suggestive of transovarial transmission of SFTSV in chigger mites under laboratory conditions and indicates that chigger mites may contribute to the natural maintenance of the virus. Further animal model-based studies are needed to clarify their vector competence.
Related
- Cluster investigation report: a probable urine-associated transmission event of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome-a case report.
- Persistent viral carriage of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus in canine: A potential canine-to-human transmission event in a family cluster
- Molecular overlap between primary immune thrombocytopenia and inherited platelet disorders: A pediatric case report with a novel heterozygous ITGB3 variant identified by next-generation sequencing
- Andes virus on cruise ships: An evidence-stratified review of transmission risks and biosecurity strategies
- Dissemination of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and carriage in the community worldwide: epidemiology, transmission pathways, molecular insights, and practical aspects
BibTeX
@article{lee2026molecular,
title = {{Molecular evidence suggestive of transovarial transmission of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus in chigger mites}},
author = {Hyeon Seung Lee and Seong Yoon Kim and Hyunwoo Kim and Hyung-Woo Lim and Hee Il Lee},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-73159-6},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-73159-6},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Molecular evidence suggestive of transovarial transmission of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus in chigger mites
AU - Hyeon Seung Lee
AU - Seong Yoon Kim
AU - Hyunwoo Kim
AU - Hyung-Woo Lim
AU - Hee Il Lee
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/02
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-73159-6
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-73159-6
AB - Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne viral disease with high case-fatality rates in East Asia. While hard ticks are recognized as the primary vectors of SFTS virus (SFTSV), the detection of SFTSV RNA in chigger mites suggests their involvement in viral maintenance in natural conditions. In this study, wild rodents were captured at 17 sites across the Republic of Korea in 2019, and spleen tissues and mites were collected and tested for SFTSV RNA using RT-PCR. To evaluate transovarial transmission, Leptotrombidium sp. collected from an endemic area were reared under laboratory conditions. Among 56 rodents and 3,402 mites, SFTSV RNA was detected in 3.6% of rodents and 2.3% of mite pools (minimum infection rate of 0.09%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all viral sequences clustered within genotype B. SFTSV RNA was detected in both parental mites and their F1 larvae, providing molecular evidence suggestive of transovarial transmission. This study provides the first molecular evidence suggestive of transovarial transmission of SFTSV in chigger mites under laboratory conditions and indicates that chigger mites may contribute to the natural maintenance of the virus. Further animal model-based studies are needed to clarify their vector competence.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -