Cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) carrying Rickettsia felis and Bartonella species in Hong Kong. 2018

Jan Šlapeta, and Andrea Lawrence, and Michael P Reichel
Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia. Electronic address: jan.slapeta@sydney.edu.au.

Fleas are commonly recorded on stray as well as domestic dogs and cats in Hong Kong. Fleas can be a major cause of pruritus in dogs and cats and also vectors of potentially zoonotic bacteria in the genera Rickettsia and Bartonella. Morphological examination of 174 fleas from dogs and cats living in Hong Kong revealed only cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis). Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1) genotyping of 20 randomly selected specimens, revealed three cox1 haplotypes (HK-h1 to HK-h3). The most common haplotype was HK-h1 with 17 specimens (17/20, 85%). HK-h1 was identical to cox1 sequences of fleas in Thailand and Fiji. HK-h1 and HK-h2 form a distinct cat flea cox1 clade previously recognized as the Clade 3. HK-h3 forms a new Clade 6. A multiplex Bartonella and Rickettsia real-time PCR of DNA from 20 C. felis found Bartonella and Rickettsia DNA in three (15%) and ten (50%) C. felis, respectively. DNA sequencing confirmed the presence of R. felis, B. clarridgeiae and Bartonella henselae. This is the first reported study of that kind in Hong Kong, and further work is required to expand the survey of companion animals in the geographical region. The sampling of fleas on domestic cats and dogs in Hong Kong revealed them to be exclusively infested by the cat flea and to be harbouring pathogens of zoonotic potential.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D002415 Cats The domestic cat, Felis catus, of the carnivore family FELIDAE, comprising over 30 different breeds. The domestic cat is descended primarily from the wild cat of Africa and extreme southwestern Asia. Though probably present in towns in Palestine as long ago as 7000 years, actual domestication occurred in Egypt about 4000 years ago. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed, p801) Felis catus,Felis domesticus,Domestic Cats,Felis domestica,Felis sylvestris catus,Cat,Cat, Domestic,Cats, Domestic,Domestic Cat
D003576 Electron Transport Complex IV A multisubunit enzyme complex containing CYTOCHROME A GROUP; CYTOCHROME A3; two copper atoms; and 13 different protein subunits. It is the terminal oxidase complex of the RESPIRATORY CHAIN and collects electrons that are transferred from the reduced CYTOCHROME C GROUP and donates them to molecular OXYGEN, which is then reduced to water. The redox reaction is simultaneously coupled to the transport of PROTONS across the inner mitochondrial membrane. Cytochrome Oxidase,Cytochrome aa3,Cytochrome-c Oxidase,Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit III,Cytochrome a,a3,Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit VIa,Cytochrome-c Oxidase (Complex IV),Cytochrome-c Oxidase Subunit III,Cytochrome-c Oxidase Subunit IV,Ferrocytochrome c Oxygen Oxidoreductase,Heme aa3 Cytochrome Oxidase,Pre-CTOX p25,Signal Peptide p25-Subunit IV Cytochrome Oxidase,Subunit III, Cytochrome Oxidase,p25 Presequence Peptide-Cytochrome Oxidase,Cytochrome c Oxidase,Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit III,Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit IV,Oxidase, Cytochrome,Oxidase, Cytochrome-c,Signal Peptide p25 Subunit IV Cytochrome Oxidase,p25 Presequence Peptide Cytochrome Oxidase
D004285 Dogs The domestic dog, Canis familiaris, comprising about 400 breeds, of the carnivore family CANIDAE. They are worldwide in distribution and live in association with people. (Walker's Mammals of the World, 5th ed, p1065) Canis familiaris,Dog
D006239 Haplotypes The genetic constitution of individuals with respect to one member of a pair of allelic genes, or sets of genes that are closely linked and tend to be inherited together such as those of the MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX. Haplotype
D006723 Hong Kong The former British crown colony located off the southeast coast of China, comprised of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, and New Territories. The three sites were ceded to the British by the Chinese respectively in 1841, 1860, and 1898. Hong Kong reverted to China in July 1997. The name represents the Cantonese pronunciation of the Chinese xianggang, fragrant port, from xiang, perfume and gang, port or harbor, with reference to its currents sweetened by fresh water from a river west of it. Kowloon,New Territories,Hongkong
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001473 Bartonella A genus of gram-negative bacteria characteristically appearing in chains of several segmenting organisms. It occurs in man and arthropod vectors and is found only in the Andes region of South America. This genus is the etiologic agent of human bartonellosis. The genus Rochalimaea, once considered a separate genus, has recently been combined with the genus Bartonella as a result of high levels of relatedness in 16S rRNA sequence data and DNA hybridization data. Rochalimaea
D001474 Bartonella Infections Infections by the genus BARTONELLA. Bartonella bacilliformis can cause acute febrile anemia, designated Oroya fever, and a benign skin eruption, called verruga peruana. BARTONELLA QUINTANA causes TRENCH FEVER, while BARTONELLA HENSELAE is the etiologic agent of bacillary angiomatosis (ANGIOMATOSIS, BACILLARY) and is also one of the causes of CAT-SCRATCH DISEASE. Bartonellosis,Carrion's Disease,Oroya Fever,Rochalimaea Infections,Verruga Peruana,Bartonella bacilliformis Infection,Carrion Disease,Infections, Bartonella,Infections, Rochalimaea,Bartonella Infection,Bartonella bacilliformis Infections,Bartonelloses,Disease, Carrion,Disease, Carrion's,Fever, Oroya,Infection, Bartonella,Infection, Bartonella bacilliformis,Infection, Rochalimaea,Rochalimaea Infection
D012282 Rickettsia Infections Infections by the genus RICKETTSIA. Infections, Rickettsia,Rickettsial Diseases,Rickettsiosis,Infection, Rickettsia,Rickettsia Infection,Rickettsial Disease,Rickettsioses
D017422 Sequence Analysis, DNA A multistage process that includes cloning, physical mapping, subcloning, determination of the DNA SEQUENCE, and information analysis. DNA Sequence Analysis,Sequence Determination, DNA,Analysis, DNA Sequence,DNA Sequence Determination,DNA Sequence Determinations,DNA Sequencing,Determination, DNA Sequence,Determinations, DNA Sequence,Sequence Determinations, DNA,Analyses, DNA Sequence,DNA Sequence Analyses,Sequence Analyses, DNA,Sequencing, DNA

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