title: Fleas and flea-borne diseases.
abstract: Flea-borne infections are emerging or re-emerging throughout the world, and their incidence is on the rise. Furthermore, their distribution and that of their vectors is shifting and expanding. This publication reviews general flea biology and the distribution of the flea-borne diseases of public health importance throughout the world, their principal flea vectors, and the extent of their public health burden. Such an overall review is necessary to understand the importance of this group of infections and the resources that must be allocated to their control by public health authorities to ensure their timely diagnosis and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses Tropicales Emergentes, CNRS-IRD UMR 6236, Faculté de Médecine, Université de la Méditerranée, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, Marseille Cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Idir
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bitam
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dittmar
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parola
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Whiting
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D010930:Plague / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*