title: Molecular detection and identification of Bartonella species in rat fleas from northeastern Thailand.
abstract: The presence of Bartonella species in Xenopsylla cheopis fleas collected from Rattus spp. (R. exulans, R. norvegicus, and R. rattus) in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand was investigated. One hundred ninety-three fleas obtained from 62 rats, were screened by polymerase chain reaction using primers specific for the 16S-23S intergenic spacer region, and the presence of Bartonella DNA was confirmed by using the citrate synthase gene. Bartonella DNA was detected in 59.1% (114 of 193) of fleas examined. Sequencing demonstrated the presence of Bartonella spp. similar to B. elizabethae, B. rattimassiliensis, B. rochalimae, and B. tribocorum in the samples tested with a cutoff for sequence similarity ≥ 96% and 4 clustered together with the closest match with B. grahamii (95.5% identity). If X. cheopis proves to be a competent vector of these species, our results suggest that humans and animals residing in this area may be at risk for infection by several zoonotic Bartonella species.
authors.affiliation: Division of Vector Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA. ina8@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Billeter
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Colton
authors.forename: Somboon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sangmaneedet
authors.forename: Fanan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Suksawat
authors.forename: Brian P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Michael Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Kosoy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001473:Bartonella / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase / Q000235:genetics; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005838:Genotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051381:Rats; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013785:Thailand; D058260:Xenopsylla / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase