“…In humans, R. felis is considered an emerging pathogen as the etiologic agent of flea-borne rickettsiosis (Perez-Osorio et al 2008). Clinical characteristics of R. felis rickettsiosis range from a mild to moderate flu-like illness with symptoms similar to other rickettsial infections, including fever, headache, and fatigue to severe disease associated with hepatic, pulmonary, and central nervous system manifestations (ZavalaVelazquez et al 2000, Zavala-Castro et al 2009). Molecular and serological surveys have detected R. felis infection of peridomestic mammals that commonly serve as hosts for fleas, including dogs, cats, and opossums (Schriefer et al 1994, Richter et al 2002, Labruna et al 2007); however, a persistently infected vertebrate reservoir has yet to be clearly implicated in the transmission cycle.…”