Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bartonella bacteria found in cat fleas from pets in Argentina border
By Urdapilleta, Mara et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2020·Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical (INMeT-ANLIS) (Ministerio de Salud y Desarrollo Social de la Nació·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Molecular detection and identification of Bartonella in the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis felis collected from companion animals in a border area in northeastern Argentina.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of fleas collected from cats and dogs in northeastern Argentina was tested for a bacteria called Bartonella, which can cause health issues in pets and humans. Out of 15 fleas tested, only one flea from a cat was found to carry Bartonella clarridgeiae. This finding suggests that cat fleas in this area could potentially spread diseases related to Bartonella. Pet owners should be aware of the risks associated with fleas and consider flea prevention treatments to protect their pets and themselves.
People also search for: cat flea disease · Bartonella in cats · flea prevention for dogs · symptoms of flea-borne diseases in pets
Abstract
Molecular methods were used to detect and identify Bartonella species in the cat fleas Ctenocephalides felis felis from Puerto Iguazú, a border area in northeastern Argentina. The fleas were collected from 12 household animals, 9 dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and 3 cats (Felis silvestris catus) during July 2016. Out of 15C. f. felis analyzed for PCR, only one flea collected from a cat was positive (6.66%) in screened for Bartonella spp. based on the gltA gene. Bartonella clarridgeiae was identified in the genetic analyses, this specimen clustered monophyletically with others B. clarridgeiae isolated from different geographical origins (1.0 PP), even, all shared the same haplotype. The results obtained provide evidence of the presence of B. clarridgeiae in cat fleas from Argentina suggesting the probable presence of related flea-borne diseases in the region and the role of cat fleas in the transmission of Bartonella among mammals including humans.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32057388/