We describe a case of Japanese spotted fever after a land leech (Haemadipsa zeylanica japonica) bite.
The patient and his family reported that the eschar appeared at the site where a land leech had been attached on July 24, 10 days before admission, and that the site bled when the leech was removed.
japonica from the eschar formed after a land leech bite in a patient without evidence of a tick bite.
In our previous study (4), 13% (4/31) of patients with Japanese spotted fever and 2% (4/188) of patients with scrub typhus diagnosed by serologic tests had a history of land leech bite before the symptom onset.
Our report is limited because we did not have the land leech for testing by PCR.
DEET, used since 1957, is effective against mosquitoes, black flies, ticks, mites, and
land leeches. It works by forming a vapor barrier that deters insects from coming into contact with the skin.