Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bartonella infection in dogs and fleas in Tulancingo Mexico
By Tobar, B Z et al.·Published in Medical and veterinary entomology·2020·Department of Population Health and Reproduction, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Bartonella in dogs and fleas from Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of stray dogs in Mexico was tested for Bartonella infection, which can be spread by fleas. Out of 31 dogs, nearly 47% showed signs of exposure to Bartonella, with some specifically infected with Bartonella henselae, a type that can affect both dogs and humans. Fleas collected from these dogs also tested positive for the bacteria. This study highlights the importance of flea control in preventing the spread of Bartonella infections in dogs.
People also search for: dog flea control · Bartonella infection in dogs · stray dog health issues · symptoms of Bartonella in pets
Abstract
Bartonella sp. infection is quite common in free-roaming dogs in many tropical countries. However, limited information is available of the presence of these pathogens in Mexico. The present study looked at prevalence of Bartonella exposure and/or infection in dogs and their fleas in Central Mexico. Blood samples were collected from 31 stray dogs in August 2014 at the municipal pound, Tulancingo, Mexico, as well as fleas on 26 of them. Bartonella seropositivity was 46.9%, including 35.5% for Bartonella henselae, 45% for Bartonella clarridgeiae and 32.2% for Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii. Three (9.7%) dogs were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive for the Bartonella gltA gene. Partial sequencing of that gene revealed that these three dogs were infected with B. henselae. In total, 86 fleas were collected from 26 dogs (range 1-9 fleas per dog), including 52 Ctenocephalides felis and 34 Ctenocephalides canis. Of 40 pools of fleas (20 pools of C. canis and 20 pools of C. felis), five (12.5%) were PCR positive for the Bartonella sp. gltA gene, including three C. canis pools (five fleas) and two C. felis pools (three fleas). All sequences showed 99.25% to 100% homology with B. henselae Houston I.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32175623/