Rickettsia felisin Fleas, Germany

Abstract

Among 310 fl eas collected from dogs and cats in Germany, Rickettsia felis was detected in all specimens (34) of Archaeopsylla erinacei (hedgehog fl ea) and in 9% (24/226) of Ctenocephalides felis felis (cat fl ea). R. helvetica was detected in 1 Ceratophyllus gallinae (hen fl ea). R ickettsia felis, the causative agent of the fl ea-borne spotted fever rickettsiosis, is pathogenic for humans (1-4). Since the fi rst detection of R. felis from midgut epithelial cells of the cat fl ea, Ctenocephalides felis felis, in 1990 (5), interest in the role of this fl ea species as its main vector has increased. R. felis has been found in cat fl eas on all continents (6). Because R. felis is not lethal for cat fl eas and is transmitted transovarially by these fl eas (4), C. felis could be a vector and a reservoir of this pathogen. For these reasons, the cat fl ea was considered the only fl ea species with a major role in the epidemiology of fl ea-borne spotted fever rickettsiosis. However, R. felis has been reported in other fl ea species (4,6-8), and fl ea-borne spotted fever rickettsiosis is now considered an emerging human infectious disease. We analyzed the presence of R. felis in different fl ea species collected from naturally infested cats and dogs in different locations in Germany. The StudyA total of 310 fl eas were collected from 49 dogs and 54 cats in 11 widely distributed locations in Germany (Berlin, Munich, Brandenburg, Leipzig, Chemnitz, Rostock/Laage, Bremen, Osnabrück, Münster, Freising, and Schongau) (Figure) in 2007. Specimens collected were recorded and kept at -20°C. Samples were shipped on dry ice to our laboratory, and species identifi cation was performed by using light microscopy and following the determination key of Hopkins and Rothschild (9). Because of infestation variations (1-150 fl eas per animal), 3 fl eas per animal host were chosen randomly for species differentiation.Fleas were homogenized individually in 80 μL of phosphate-buffered saline with a RETSCH Tissue Lyser Mixer Mill 300 (QIAGEN, Hilden, Germany) by using 5-mm steel beads. A 100-μL volume of ATL buffer and 20 μL of proteinase K (QIAGEN) were added, and homogenates were incubated at 56°C in an Eppendorf Thermomixer (Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany) until tissues were completely lysed. DNA was extracted from each fl ea by using a QIAamp DNA Mini Kit (QIAGEN) according to the manufacturer's instructions (tissue protocol) and stored at -20°C until used.PCR amplifi cation of rickettsial DNA was performed by using oligonucleotide primer pairs Rp CS.877p/Rp CS.1258n (10) generated from the rickettsial citrate synthase (gltA) gene. Positive samples were analyzed for a 530-bp portion of the outer membrane protein A (ompA) gene with primer pair Rr 190.70p/Rr 190.602n (10) and for a 765-bp portion of the ompB gene with primer pair 120-1278/120-3599 (11). PCR amplifi cation was accomplished in 50-μL volumes containing 5 μL DNA, 30 μL distilled water, 10 μL 5× Taq buffer (Roche, Mannheim, Germany), 3 μL 25 mmol/L MgCl 2 (Roche), 1 μL 10 mmol/L dN...

Vector-Borne Agents Detected in Fleas of the Northern White-Breasted Hedgehog

“…KC822951), having the highest (99%, 98%) sequence identity to African rickettsia isolates, i.e., endosymbionts from soft ticks and tsetse flies, with 1.1% (5 out of 438) and 2.3% (10 out of 438) mismatches of nucleotides, respectively. Interestingly, the newly discovered rickettsial endosymbiont of tsetse flies was reported to be phylogenetically close to R. felis (Mediannikov et al 2012), a species highly prevalent in A. erinacei fleas collected from other European and African hedgehog species (Gilles et al 2008, Khaldi et al 2012, Marié et al 2012.…”

“…Recently, the hedgehog flea, A. erinacei was reported to be a frequent carrier of Rickettsia felis, the causative agent of human flea-borne spotted fever (Gilles et al 2008, Khaldi et al 2012, Marié et al 2012. Because this rickettsia was shown to be present in Hungary (Hornok et al 2010), the main purpose of the present study was to evaluate if hedgehog fleas have a similarly high infection prevalence with R. felis as reported abroad.…”

“…It is highly urbanized, providing an opportunity for its fleas (most importantly Archaeopsylla erinacei) to infest dogs and cats (Gilles et al 2008), or even human beings (e.g., Pomykal 1985). The chances for this are particularly high when hedgehogs enter hibernation or die in or near animal-keeping facilities and human dwellings, and their fleas depart in search of a new host (Pomykal 1985).…”

Rickettsia typhi and Rickettsia felis in Xenopsylla cheopis and Leptopsylla segnis Parasitizing Rats in Cyprus

“…4 However, the only recognized vector is the cat flea. 8 Other flea species such as C. canis , [17][18][19] Anomiopsyllus nudata , 20 Archaeopsylla erinacei , 16,21,22 Ctenophthalmus sp., 21 X. cheopis , 22,23 Pulex irritans , 18 and ticks and mites 8 have been implicated as alternative competent vectors of R . felis .…”

Bacterial canine vector-borne zoonotic diseases in “One Health” concept

“…The cat flea has been thought to be the only arthropod associated with biological transmission of R. felis despite the fact that the pathogen has been detected in various arthropods [76]. Cat flea, despite its name, is the major flea identified in dogs as well [77]. The latest studies from Australia point toward the dog as a reservoir for R. felis [78].…”