title: Identification of Rickettsia africae and Wolbachia sp. in Ceratophyllus garei fleas from Passerine birds migrated from Africa.
abstract: The aim of the study was to reveal new aspects of the role of flea vector taken from migratory birds by screening of specimens with molecular biological methods. A field study was done in fishponds in Slovakia. Actually, 47 fleas were collected from reed warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) and their nests. DNA was extracted and analyzed for representatives of the orders Rickettsiales. A rickettsia that shares 99.7% of identity by gltA gene with Rickettsia africae was identified in Ceratophyllus garei collected from A. scirpaceus. Moreover, two Wolbachia sp. were also detected in fleas. This is the first record of R. africae and Wolbachia sp. identified so far in Central Europe in fleas collected from migratory bird returning from Africa. This molecular study extends the geographic range and vector spectrum of arthropod-borne agents.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Zuzana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sekeyová
authors.forename: Oleg
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mediannikov
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Roux
authors.forename: Geetha
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Subramanian
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spitalská
authors.forename: Jano
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kristofík
authors.forename: Alžbeta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Darolová
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005060:Europe; D058267:Flea Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000635:transmission; D012288:Rickettsiaceae Infections / Q000635:transmission; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000382:microbiology*; D018154:Slovakia; D020308:Songbirds / Q000469:parasitology*; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012329:RNA, Bacterial