title: Vector-borne agents detected in fleas of the northern white-breasted hedgehog.
abstract: This is the first large-scale molecular investigation of fleas from a geographically widespread and highly urbanized species, the northern white-breasted hedgehog. In this study, 759 fleas (the majority were Archaeopsylla erinacei) collected from 134 hedgehogs were molecularly analyzed individually or in pools for the presence of three groups of vector-borne pathogens. All flea samples were positive for rickettsiae: In two samples (1.5%) Rickettsia helvetica and in 10% of the others a novel rickettsia genotype were identified. Additionally, Bartonella henselae (the causative agent of cat scratch disease in humans) was demonstrated in one flea (0.7%), and hemoplasmas of the hemofelis group were identified in seven other samples (5.2%). The findings of vector-borne agents not detected before in A. erinacei fleas broaden the range of those diseases of veterinary-medical importance, of which hedgehogs may play a role in the epidemiology.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University , Budapest, Hungary .
authors.forename: Sándor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hornok
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Földvári
authors.forename: Krisztina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rigó
authors.forename: Marina L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Meli
authors.forename: Mária
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tóth
authors.forename: Viktor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Molnár
authors.forename: Enikő
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gönczi
authors.forename: Róbert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Farkas
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hofmann-Lehmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001473:Bartonella / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D005260:Female; D058267:Flea Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005838:Genotype; D006364:Hedgehogs / Q000469:parasitology*; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000382:microbiology*; D015047:Zoonoses
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial