Molecular screening of Bartonella species in rodents from south western Spain.
Rodents (87 Mus spretus and 10 Rattus norvegicus) collected in a suburban area of Seville (Andalusia, Spain) between September 2003 and April 2004 were tested by polymerase chain reaction for the presence of Bartonella DNA using primers amplifying a fragment of the 16S/23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS). Sequence analyses of the ITS of these Bartonella demonstrated that rodents in this region harbored at least three strains: two Bartonella genotypes detected in M. spretus, which clustered separately, and one genotype corresponding with B. tribocorum in R. norvegicus. The finding of Bartonella species in a high proportion of the rodent samples suggests the need to investigate whether these agents might be responsible for cases of febrile illnesses of unknown etiology in Southern Spain.
Márquez
Francisco J
FJ
Departamento Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain. jmarquez@ujaen.es
Rodríguez-Liébana
José J
JJ
Pachón-Ibáñez
M Eugenia
ME
Docobo-Pérez
Fernando
F
Hidalgo-Fontiveros
Antonio
A
Bernabeu-Wittel
Máximo
M
Muniain
Miguel A
MA
Pachón
Jerónimo
J
D000818:Animals; D001473:Bartonella / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D051379:Mice; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D013030:Spain
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S