First detection of Rickettsia felis in Ctenocephalides felis fleas parasitizing rats in Cyprus.
Rickettsia felis was identified by polymerase chain reaction amplification and DNA sequencing analysis in Ctenocephalides felis fleas parasitizing rats in Cyprus. Murine typhus caused by R. typhi was believed to be the only flea-transmitted rickettsiosis on the island. This is the first report of this pathogen in southeastern Europe.
Psaroulaki
Anna
A
Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology, Zoonoses, and Geographical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Antoniou
Maria
M
Papaeustathiou
Andreas
A
Toumazos
Paul
P
Loukaides
Feidias
F
Tselentis
Yannis
Y
D000818:Animals; D003535:Cyprus; D051381:Rats / Q000469:parasitology*; D041161:Rickettsia felis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000382:microbiology*