title: Rickettsia felis in cat fleas in Taiwan.
abstract: We describe the first detection of Rickettsia felis in cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) in Taiwan. Natural infections of R. felis in cat fleas were isolated and confirmed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and an immunofluorescence assay. The infection rate in individual fleas and the minimum infection rate in pooled fleas detected by the PCR method were found to be 18.8% (13/69) and 8.2% (8/97), respectively. Partial sequences of the plasmid pRF, 17-kDa antigen, and outer membrane protein A genes obtained from the samples are identical to those of R. felis URRWXCal2. Serological studies confirmed R. felis infection in two stray cats, as demonstrated by the presence of serum IgG antibodies against R. felis with an immunofluorescence assay titer of 1:320.
authors.affiliation: Vector-Borne Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Laboratory, Research and Diagnostic Center, Centers for Disease Control, Department of Health, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kun-Hsien
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Hsiu-Ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jyh-Hsiung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Pei-Ju
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hsi-Chieh
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chin-Gi
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Wen-Jer
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Pei-Yun
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Shu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D002415:Cats; D004478:Ectoparasitic Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D041161:Rickettsia felis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000382:microbiology*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G