-
1
Scrub typhus, caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, is endemic in South Korea and can be difficult to distinguish clinically from other infections that cause acute febrile illness.
-
2
Substantial antigenic and genomic diversity among O. tsutsugamushi strains may influence molecular detection, epidemiological interpretation, and comparisons across regional outbreaks.
-
3
Boryong predominates in South Korea, whereas less-common non-Boryong strains, including Je-Cheon– and Young-Worl–related strains, remain undercharacterized at the whole-genome level.
-
4
Whole-genome sequencing complements 56-kDa TSA single-gene typing by providing information on genome-wide relationships, structural variation, and repeat-associated features.
-
5
The study generated whole-genome sequences for two uncommon, patient-derived South Korean strains, Chuncheon17-2 and Chuncheon17-13, expanding resources for molecular surveillance and diagnostic evaluation.
