Identification of flea blood meals using multiplexed real-time polymerase chain reaction targeting mitochondrial gene fragments.
Human plague is found in the West Nile region of Uganda and Democratic Republic of the Congo where flea vectors are often found inhabiting homes. We have developed a multiplexed, real-time polymerase chain reaction assay targeting mitochondrial genes that is capable of detecting blood meal sources in fleas collected off-host in East Africa. Laboratory tests showed that the assay is specific for the intended targets and has a detection limit below one picogram of DNA. Testing of wild-caught fleas from the Democratic Republic of Congo suggests that humans are at significant risk from flea-borne disease and implicates domestic animals including cats, chickens, and the black rat as potential sources of human exposure to fleas and flea-borne diseases. Future application of the assay will help us better define the ecology of plague in East Africa to implement effective control measures to combat the spread of disease.
Woods
Michael E
ME
Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA. gvi1@cdc.gov
Montenieri
John A
JA
Eisen
Rebecca J
RJ
Zeidner
Nordin S
NS
Borchert
Jeff N
JN
Laudisoit
Anne
A
Babi
Nackson
N
Atiku
Linda A
LA
Enscore
Russell E
RE
Gage
Kenneth L
KL
D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood; D002415:Cats / Q000097:blood; D002645:Chickens / Q000097:blood; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo; D004285:Dogs / Q000097:blood; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006041:Goats / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats / Q000097:blood; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000502:physiology*; D014454:Uganda