ISCEP 2026 At Sunway Putra Hotel 17-18 August 2026
ABSTRACT
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACT
FIRST MALAYSIAN RECORD OF SCHOENGASTIA PSEUDOSCHUFFNERI AND BASELINE DATA FOR SCRUB TYPHUS SURVEILLANCE
T2.07
Zainal Abidin S, John AA', Ishak MS', Foo PC', Anak Mawang C', Nik Kamarudin NA', Zakaria N, Che Lah EF, Stekolnikov AA'
Worsley Unifestous Diseases Research Centre, lestitute for Medical Research Nationalistes of Health Ministry of Health Malaysia Shah Ales Selangor Malaysia "Vectorbose Disease Control Sabah State Health Department Ministry of Health Malaysia Kota Kinab Sabuk Malasia
Zoological India Russian Academy of Sciences Salt Petersburg Aus
Ocal Presentation- cty Suva Sh
Chigger mites are important vectors of scrub typhus and their common hosts are small mammals. Although no confirmed cases have been reported in Beaufort, Sabah, a previously suspected case highlights the need for continued vector surveillance. The district's mosaic of palm oil plantations and coastal village scrub-farms creates a high-contact interface prime for zoonotic disease spillover. This study investigated chigger infestations among small mammals inhabiting agricultural and coastal environments in Beaufort, Sabah. Small mammals were trapped across sites representing distinct landscape matrices and examined for chigger infestation. Captured animals and collected chiggers were identified morphotaxonomically and screened for Orientia tsutsugamushi using nested PCR. A total of 37 small mammals were examined, of which eight infested, yielding an infestation prevalence of 21.6%. A total of 259 chiggers were recovered, with Sandantys mualiani harboured the highest chigger burden (n= 130), followed by Rattus rattus [n =61) and Callosciurus netas (n=42). This study documents the first formal record of Schoangasta pseudoschuhen in Malaysia, identified as the dominant chigger species across multiple hosts, alongside Aschoenguatia indica and the primary scrub typhus vector Leptotrombidium defense. Although O. tsutsugamushi was not detected in chigger pools or host tissues, the discovery of Schoengastia pseudoschuffneri significantly expands current knowledge of chigger fauna in Beaufort, Sabah. These findings provide baseline data anchigger-host associations in coastal and agricultural environments, and support continued surveillance to better understand scrub typhus ecology in this region.
Keywords: chiggers Trombiculidae Scheengasta podeschuhe vector surveillance subtypes, Sabah
INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON ENTOMOLOGY AND PEST SCEP) 2006