A Case of Human Infestation with the Hard Tick Ixodes ovatus in Okayama, Japan (Acarina : Ixodidae)
A case of human infestation with hard tick was reported. The tick was found on skin surface of right shoulder region of 59-year-old woman, and the tick body (ideosoma) measured 5.5 mm in length and 4.5 mm in maximum width without capitulum. On acarological observations the tick was identified with an adult female of Ixodes ovatus Neumann, 1899 based on the morphogical characters of scutum, coxae and spiracular plate. In this case, the tick bites resulted wounds when the patient went out to mountain area. To our best knowledge this is the first case of human infestation with the hard tick in Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
