Probable Role of the Cat Flea, Ctenocephalides Felis, in Transmission of Murine Typhus

Irons, J. V.; Bohls, S. W.; Thurman, D. C.; Mcgregor, T.

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.1944.s1-24.359

Cited by 20 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…typhi . These findings align with studies conducted from 1916 through 1948 where an association between flea-borne rickettsial disease with opossums and cat fleas had already been made [ 47 , 48 ]. The previous reports, together with the high seropositivity for R .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Rickettsial Infections among Ctenocephalides felis and Host Animals during a Flea-Borne Rickettsioses Outbreak in Orange County, California

et al. 2016

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Due to a resurgence of flea-borne rickettsioses in Orange County, California, we investigated the etiologies of rickettsial infections of Ctenocephalides felis, the predominant fleas species obtained from opossums (Didelphis virginiana) and domestic cats (Felis catus), collected from case exposure sites and other areas in Orange County. In addition, we assessed the prevalence of IgG antibodies against spotted fever group (SFGR) and typhus group (TGR) rickettsiae in opossum sera. Of the 597 flea specimens collected from opossums and cats, 37.2% tested positive for Rickettsia. PCR and sequencing of rickettsial genes obtained from C. felis flea DNA preparations revealed the presence of R. typhi (1.3%), R. felis (28.0%) and R. felis-like organisms (7.5%). Sera from opossums contained TGR-specific (40.84%), but not SFGR-specific antibodies. The detection of R. felis and R. typhi in the C. felis fleas in Orange County highlights the potential risk for human infection with either of these pathogens, and underscores the need for further investigations incorporating specimens from humans, animal hosts, and invertebrate vectors in endemic areas. Such studies will be essential for establishing a link in the ongoing flea-borne rickettsioses outbreaks.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Rickettsial Infections among Ctenocephalides felis and Host Animals during a Flea-Borne Rickettsioses Outbreak in Orange County, California

et al. 2016

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“…The finding of typhus rickettsiae in a pool of fleas collected from the two opossums, and in other pools of fleas collected from nonmurine hosts (13,14) was perhaps fortuitous, as it is possible that the fleas had acquired the infection from rats. At any rate, these findings do not in any way detract from the primary role of commensal rats in the epidemiology of endemic typhus fever.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Complement Fixation Tests for Murine Typhus on Small Mammals

Keaton¹,

Nash²,

Murphy³

et al. 1953

Public Health Reports (1896-1970)

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“…Irons et al (12,13) report the recovery of endemic typhus rickettsiae from individual pools of the common cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, taken from kittens, opossums, and puppies; and from a pool of the oriental rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis, from a kitten. Mazzotti and Varela (14) tested 24 Mexico City dogs for the Weil-Felix reaction with Proteus OX 19 and reported that 10 sera reacted at a dilution of 1 : 20, 10 at : 40, and 4 at 1: 80.…”

Section: Gray Squirrel Scimentioning

confidence: 99%