{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T02:48:19Z","timestamp":1760237299257,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,4,5]],"date-time":"2020-04-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1586044800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["TropicalMed"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Scrub typhus, a disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, affects more than one billion people globally with an average fatality rate of 6%. Humans are accidentally infected through the bite of trombiculid mite larvae (chiggers). Chiggers feed on hosts\u2019 extracellular fluid for survival and development. O. tsutsugamushi is maintained throughout the chigger\u2019s lifespan and over several generations. Although disease-related knowledge is essential in designing effective control strategies, many personnel in related sectors are unfamiliar with this disease and its vector. To tackle this issue, we developed a distance learning tool using educational videos on scrub typhus- and vector-related topics. The learning method is facilitated online, and students and tutors are not required to be physically present at the same place and time, thus allowing flexibility and accessibility. Knowledge improvement of 34 participants from related sectors was evaluated by pre- and post-test questionnaires. Although 54% of participants had prior knowledge of scrub typhus, 76.5% still lack basic knowledge of vector identification. After the distance learning, the average score increased significantly from the baseline (p &lt; 0.05). Most participants showed interest in the topic and learning method. These results suggest that the distance learning method was promising in distributing health-related information and might be applied to other diseases and communities.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/tropicalmed5020055","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,4,6]],"date-time":"2020-04-06T06:10:28Z","timestamp":1586153428000},"page":"55","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Innovative Distance Learning Tool for Morphological Identification of Chigger Mites (Actinotrichida) as Vectors of Scrub Typhus: A Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"5","author":[{"given":"Rawadee","family":"Kumlert","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"The Office of Disease Prevention and Control 12, Songkhla Province (ODPC12), Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Songkhla 90000, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8308-9930","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aulia Rahmi","family":"Pawestri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University (FTM, MU), Bangkok 10400, Thailand"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang 65145, Indonesia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Piyada","family":"Linsuwanon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"United States Medical Directorate-Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (US-AFRIMS), Bangkok 10400, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3986-7659","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Serge","family":"Morand","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University (FTM, MU), Bangkok 10400, Thailand"},{"name":"Institut des Sciences de l\u2019Evolution\u2014Montpellier University\u2014National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)\u2014French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), 34090 Montpellier, France"},{"name":"Faculty of Veterinary Technology, Kasetsart Univesity, Bangkok 10900, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,4,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"611","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1348-0421.1986.tb02988.x","article-title":"Immunological Properties of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi Kawasaki Strain, Isolated from a Patient in Kyushu","volume":"30","author":"Yamamoto","year":"1986","journal-title":"Microbiol. 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