Bibliographical studies on human cases of Hard Tick (Acarina: Ixodidae) bites in Japan (7) Cases of inidentified Tick infestation *
This paper reviewed the significant literature on human infestation with the unidentified ticks occurring in Japan between 1941 and 2005. A total of 290 patients (126 males, 149 females, 15 unknown) were reported in the literature. The patients were distributed widely in Japan. The highest incidence of cases was found in Nagano Prefecture (40.3%) in central Japan. The tick infestation of the reported cases occurred in all the year round except for February, with the highest incidence being found in June (36.1%). The age range of patients was from 1 to 88 years of age, and the highest incidence was found in persons in the fifties (18.2%). The most common infestation site of the patients was on the skin of the trunk region (52.7%), particularly the abdomen (11.5%) and thorax region (8.4%). The tick bites in the majority of the cases were principally acquired in mountainous areas. (Accepted on March 29, 2010)
