Kato:
(ATCC VR-609). Actual origin of the Kato strain is imprecise. However, according to Dr. Tsunehisa Suto in a letter to djk dated 23 September, 2014, the Kato strain is purported to have been isolated from a classic human scrub typhus case from the blood of a 15 year old boy from Kurosawa village, Nakakammbara county, Niigata Prefecture, September 2, 1952. This is presumably the same Kato strain described by Shishido, 1958. (See full details as reported in Dr Suto’s notes)
references:
(Shishido A, Ohtawara M, Tateno S, Mizuno S, Ogura M, Kitaoka M. The nature of immunity against scrub typhus in mice. I. The resistance of mice surviving subcutaneous infection of scrub typhus rickettsia, to intraperitoneal reinfection of the same agent. Jpn J Med Sci Biol 1958;11: 383-399.)
Despite some confusion about the origin of the Kato strain,
Under construction: to be added:
details of first description
first report of Kato gene sequence
report on status of Kato genome