title: Rickettsia felis and Bartonella spp. in fleas from cats in Albania.
abstract: Fleas can serve as vectors for bacterial pathogens like Bartonella and Rickettsia species, which have been isolated worldwide. However, the knowledge of the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases in general and thus on flea-borne diseases in Albania is limited. Therefore, from 78 free-roaming cats in Tirana, Albania, fleas (371 Ctenocephalides felis and 5 Ctenocephalides canis) were collected to examine them for the presence of Rickettsia and Bartonella species. Ten of the 371 C. felis (2.7%) were positive for Rickettsia felis, and 24 (6.5%) for Bartonella spp. (B. henselae and B. clarridgeiae). In total, fleas from 15 cats (19.2%) were positive for either one or the other of the pathogens. The results of this study provided evidence for the presence of R. felis (causing flea-borne spotted fever) and Bartonella spp. (causing cat scratch disease) in Albania. Thus, these infectious diseases should be considered as differential diagnoses when febrile symptoms are presented, especially after contact with cats or their fleas.
authors: Chair of Comparative Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany. cornelia.silaghi@tropa.vetmed.uni-muenchen.de
authors: Cornelia
authors: C
authors: Silaghi
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Knaus
authors: Dhimiter
authors: D
authors: Rapti
authors: Enstela
authors: E
authors: Shukullari
authors: Kurt
authors: K
authors: Pfister
authors: Steffen
authors: S
authors: Rehbein
mesh_terms: D000415:Albania / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D001473:Bartonella / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D002415:Cats; D004478:Ectoparasitic Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000382:microbiology; D041161:Rickettsia felis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000382:microbiology*