American Society of Hirudotherapy

Rickettsia japonica infection after land leech bite, Japan

Case report published in Emerg Infect Dis (2019)

Last Updated: June 18, 2026Reviewed by: ASH Editorial Board
Research article — evidence reviewArticle reference
Evidence: Case reportSafety & Infection ControlSando E et al. · Emerging infectious diseases, 2019

Abstract

We report a case of Rickettsia japonica infection in an 81-year-old man in central Japan. The patient had fever, rash, and an eschar but no evidence of a tick bite. His symptoms began 8 days after a land leech bite. The land leech is a potential vector of R. japonica.

Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.

Publication typeCase ReportsLetterResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Indexed MeSH termsAged, 80 and overAnimalsBiomarkersBites and StingsExanthemaFluorescent Antibody TechniqueHumansJapanLeechesMalePolymerase Chain ReactionRickettsiaRickettsia InfectionsSymptom Assessment

Summary

An 81-year-old man in central Japan developed fever, rash, and an eschar 8 days after a land leech bite, without evidence of a tick bite; Rickettsia japonica infection was diagnosed, suggesting land leeches as a potential vector.

Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy

This case report describes an 81-year-old man in central Japan who developed Rickettsia japonica infection (fever, rash, eschar) with symptom onset eight days after a land leech bite and no evidence of a tick bite. The authors propose the land leech as a potential vector of R. japonica. Its only link to leech therapy is documentation of an infectious complication following leech exposure, contributing to awareness of risks associated with leech bites. The case involves a wild land leech bite, not therapeutic hirudotherapy, and does not address the medicinal leech secretome, anticoagulant activity, or controlled leech application. It is a single case report establishing only a possible vector relationship.

Citation

Reference (Vancouver style)

Sando E, Suzuki M, Katayama M, Taira M, Fujita H, Ariyoshi K. Rickettsia japonica infection after land leech bite, Japan. Emerg Infect Dis. 2019;25(6):1243-1245. doi:10.3201/eid2506.181985. PMID: 31107234

Bibliographic details (authors, volume, pages, DOI) are taken from the PubMed record.

DOIPubMed

Added to ASH library: May 27, 2026 · Site last updated: June 18, 2026

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