Detection of Bartonella henselae and Rickettsia felis in Fleas from Client-Owned Pets in Oklahoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon E. Henriquez ◽  
Kyah Featherston ◽  
Bruce H Noden
2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 318-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentin Greigert ◽  
Julie Brunet ◽  
Basma Ouarti ◽  
Maureen Laroche ◽  
Alexander W Pfaff ◽  
...  

Abstract Fleas are ectoparasites of various animals, including Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 (Primates: Hominidae). Among the species relevant to the human health field, either due to their dermatopathological potential or because of their role as vectors of microorganisms responsible for infectious diseases, such as plague or murine typhus, are the human flea, oriental rat flea, closely related cat and dog fleas, and chigoe flea. However, other species can accidentally infest humans. We have herein reported two unusual cases of humans infested and bitten by Archaeopsylla erinacei, the hedgehog flea. This species has been identified using stereomicroscopy, on the base of key characteristics. Furthermore, a brief literature review has revealed that hedgehog fleas could carry human-infectious agents, such as Rickettsia felis Bouyer et al. 2001 (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) or Bartonella henselae Regnery et al.1992 (Rhizobiales: Bartonellaceae). Using molecular biology, we thus tested nine A. erinacei specimens taken from these patients, for several bacteria species commonly associated with hematophagous arthropods, implicated in human pathology. However, all our samples were proven negative. The role of A. erinacei in human epidemiology has never been evaluated to date. This report sought to remind us that these fleas can be accidental parasites in humans. In addition, recent findings pertaining to bacteria of medical interest that are present in these insects should be brought to the fore, given that the question of their role as vectors in human infections remains unanswered and deserves further investigation.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1114
Author(s):  
Mustafa Necati Muz ◽  
Serkan Erat ◽  
Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu

Domestic felines' re-emerging infectious and neglected zoonotic diseases are a significant focus of global "One Health" efforts. This study aimed to rapidly diagnose 14 pathogens, including zoonoses by using PCR primers in 167 client-owned symptomatic cats, routinely accepted to the Veterinary Clinics of Tekirdag. The prevalence of pathogens investigated were as follows: Babesia canis canis (24%), Babesia microti (2.4%), Hepatozoon felis (10.8%), Cytauxzoon felis (6.6%), Bartonella henselae (40.1%), Anaplasma platys (30.5%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (7.2%), Rickettsia felis (26.3%), Borrelia burgdorferi (21%), and hemotropic Mycoplasma sp. (11.4%). There was a significant difference between the prevalence of the pathogens (?2 = 152.26, df = 9, p < 0.001). There was also a statistical difference between the gender of the cats in terms of the prevalence of all pathogens considered together (?2 = 4.80, df = 1, p = 0.028), where the female cats showed a higher prevalence. This was not the case for the different age groups (?2 = 2.92, df = 1, p=0.088). The lowest infection was observed for B. microti (p < 0.001), while the highest infection was observed for B. henselae (p < 0.01). Leishmania donovani, Plasmodium spp., Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and Neoehrlichia mikurensis PCR test results were negative in all samples. In conclusion, house cats of Tekirdag are apparently highly susceptible to some neglected zoonoses important for "One Health," and their prevalence in the region is most probably underestimated. Hence, applying PCR tests to assist fast clinic diagnosis in routine, may be an efficient option to protect the public as well as the cats from severe diseases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-240
Author(s):  
Estefanía Abreu‐Yanes ◽  
Néstor Abreu‐Acosta ◽  
Michael Kosoy ◽  
Pilar Foronda

2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 967-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick J. Kelly ◽  
Natalie Meads ◽  
Anita Theobald ◽  
Pierre-Edouard Fournier ◽  
Didier Raoult

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1842
Author(s):  
Valentina Virginia Ebani ◽  
Simona Nardoni ◽  
Michela Maestrini ◽  
Stefania Perrucci ◽  
Francesca Mancianti

Asymptomatic cats often harbor pathogens, some of which have not been largely investigated in feline populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of antibodies against Rickettsia conorii, Rickettsia felis, Rickettsia typhi, Neospora caninum, Bartonella henselae and Toxoplasma gondii in cats from Tuscany. Ninety-five blood serum samples, previously collected, were analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Fifty-six (58.94%) cats had antibodies to at least one investigated pathogen: 28 (29.47%) cats were positive for B. henselae, 17 (17.89%) for R. felis, 14 (14.73%) for R. conorii, 14 (14.73%) for T. gondii, 2 (2.1%) for N. caninum. No cats were positive for R. typhi. Positive reactions to two or more pathogens were detected in 18 (18.94%) cats. The occurrence of antibodies against these microorganisms suggests that cats, even though asymptomatic, may be infected by pathogens, often zoonotic, and thus may be a source of infections for other animals and humans.


Author(s):  
Lance A Durden ◽  
Sergio Bermúdez ◽  
Géminis A Vargas ◽  
Boris E Sanjur ◽  
Laura Gillen ◽  
...  

Abstract In total, 341 fleas belonging to 16 species were collected from 78 host mammals belonging to 10 species in Panamá from 2010 to 2016. The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché) predominated on domestic dogs and was also recorded from domestic cats, the raccoon, Procyon lotor (Linnaeus) and the common opossum, Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus. The largest number of flea species (7) was recorded from D. marsupialis and the most common flea on that host was the ctenophthalmid, Adoratopsylla intermedia copha Jordan. One Oriental rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis (Rothschild), was collected from D. marsupialis. Native rodents were parasitized by indigenous ceratophyllid, rhopalopsyllid, and stephanocircid fleas. The Mexican deermouse, Peromyscus mexicanus (Saussure), was parasitized by six species of ceratophyllids belonging to the mostly Central American genera, Baculomeris, Jellisonia, Kohlsia and Plusaetis. The long-tailed singing mouse, Scotinomys xerampelinus (Bangs), was parasitized by Plocopsylla scotinomi Tipton and Méndez, the only species of stephanocircid flea known from Central America. Twenty-six pools of extracted flea DNA representing 5 flea species (C. felis, Pulex echidnophagoides (Wagner), Pulex simulans Baker, A. intermedia copha, and P. scotinomi) and 79 individual fleas were all real-time polymerase chain reaction negative for Rickettsia felis, Rickettsia typhi, and Bartonella henselae.


2011 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 445-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun-Hsien Tsai ◽  
Chin-Gi Huang ◽  
Chi-Tai Fang ◽  
Pei-Yun Shu ◽  
Jyh-Hsiung Huang ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 457-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bersissa Kumsa ◽  
Philippe Parola ◽  
Didier Raoult ◽  
Cristina Socolovschi

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document