Polygenic detection of Rickettsia felis in cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) from Israel

Omri Bauer; Gad Baneth; Tamar Eshkol; Susan E. Shaw; Shimon Harrus

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2006.74.444

Polygenic detection of Rickettsia felis in cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) from Israel

Omri Bauer, Gad Baneth, Tamar Eshkol, Susan E. Shaw, Shimon Harrus^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

The Koret School of Veterinary Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

The presence of Rickettsia felis, an emerging bacterial pathogen, was investigated in 79 cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) pools from Israel (5 to 20 fleas each) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of 5 different genes. Amplified targets included both metabolic (gltA and fusA) and surface antigen (ompA, ompB, and the 17-kDa antigen) genes. R. felis DNA was detected in 7.6% of the flea pools. Two genotypes similar in their housekeeping gene sequences but markedly different in their surface antigenic genetic milieus were characterized. This is the first detection of this flea-transmitted rickettsia within its vector in Israel and the Middle East. Although no clinical case has been reported in human beings in Israel to date, these findings suggest that this infection is prevalent in Israel.

Original language	American English
Pages (from-to)	444-448
Number of pages	5
Journal	American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume	74
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.2006.74.444
State	Published - Mar 2006

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abstract = "The presence of Rickettsia felis, an emerging bacterial pathogen, was investigated in 79 cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) pools from Israel (5 to 20 fleas each) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of 5 different genes. Amplified targets included both metabolic (gltA and fusA) and surface antigen (ompA, ompB, and the 17-kDa antigen) genes. R. felis DNA was detected in 7.6% of the flea pools. Two genotypes similar in their housekeeping gene sequences but markedly different in their surface antigenic genetic milieus were characterized. This is the first detection of this flea-transmitted rickettsia within its vector in Israel and the Middle East. Although no clinical case has been reported in human beings in Israel to date, these findings suggest that this infection is prevalent in Israel.",

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AU - Shaw, Susan E.

AU - Harrus, Shimon

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Polygenic detection of Rickettsia felis in cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) from Israel

Abstract

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