title: Rodent-associated Bartonella in Saskatchewan, Canada.
abstract: Six species of wild rodents were sampled at 10 sites in 2002 and 2003 to determine the prevalence of Bartonella infections in rodent communities near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Isolates were characterized genotypically and compared with isolates found at other locations. Of 104 wild rodents examined, 57% were infected with Bartonella and prevalence within species varied from 49% for Richardson's ground squirrels (Spermophilus richardsonii) to 90% for Franklin's ground squirrels (S. franklinii). Infected rodents were found at all sites. Sequencing of a 379-bp portion of the citrate synthase gene was performed on 54 isolates and revealed 13 distinct genotypes, eight of which had not been described previously. The most common genotype detected in red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi) was 99.1% similar to B. grahamii, a known human pathogen. Two of 10 Franklin's ground squirrels were concurrently infected with multiple Bartonella genotypes. All genotypes, with the exception of one detected in both Franklin's and thirteen-lined ground squirrels (S. tridecemlineatus), were found in only one host, and all genotypes from each species, with the exception of genotypes detected in red-backed voles, clustered together within the same relatedness group, suggesting that at least some Bartonella genotypes are specific to some rodent hosts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. claire_jardine@usask.ca
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jardine
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Appleyard
authors.forename: Michael Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Kosoy
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McColl
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chirino-Trejo
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wobeser
authors.forename: Frederick A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Leighton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae; D001473:Bartonella / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase / Q000235:genetics; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology; D017753:Ecosystem; D005838:Genotype; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009115:Muridae; D010542:Peromyscus; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D012525:Saskatchewan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012589:Sciuridae; D012703:Serotyping / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase