title: First report of Rickettsia felis in China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rickettsia felis is a recently described flea-borne spotted fever group Rickettsia that is an emerging human pathogen. Although there is information on the organism from around the world, there is no information on the organism in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a commercial ELISA to detect antibodies reactive against R. felis in blood samples and developed a PCR to detect the gltA of the organism in blood samples and external parasites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found reactive antibodies in people (16%; 28/180), dogs (47%; 128/271) and cats (21%; 19/90) and positive PCRs with DNA from people (0.1%; 1/822), dogs (0.8%; 8/1,059), mice (10%; 1/10), ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus; 10%; 15/146), lice (Linognathus setosus; 16%; 6/37), fleas (Ctenocephalides felis felis; 95%; 57/60) and mosquitoes (Anopheles sinensis, Culex pipiens pallens; 6%; 25/428), but not from cats (0/135) or canine fecal swabs (0/43).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report of R. felis in China where there is serological and/ or PCR evidence of the organism in previously reported [people, dogs, cats, ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus), fleas (Ctenocephalides felis felis) and mosquitoes (Anopheles sinensis, Culex pipiens pallens)] and novel species [mice and lice (Linognathus setosus)].
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. zhangjilei0103@163.com.
authors.forename: Jilei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. guangwulu@163.com.
authors.forename: Guangwu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis. pkelly@rossvet.edu.kn.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: Subei People's Hospital, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China. yzdxzzw@163.com.
authors.forename: Zhenwen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. weilanjing4123@163.com.
authors.forename: Lanjing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Yangzhou University School of Medicine, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. duonan@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Duonan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, 830000, China. 511366016@qq.com.
authors.forename: Shayilan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kayizha
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. wangcm@yzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Chengming
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002415:Cats; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D009033:Culicidae / Q000382:microbiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice / Q000382:microbiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008003:Phthiraptera / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary; D041161:Rickettsia felis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000382:microbiology; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D015415:Biomarkers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial