title: Fleas and Ticks in Carnivores From a Domestic-Wildlife Interface: Implications for Public Health and Wildlife.
abstract: Fleas and ticks are parasites of wild and domestic mammals, and can be vectors of several pathogens. In rural areas, domestic carnivores such as the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris L.), may act as a "bridge" between natural areas and human settlements where ectoparasites can be used as a metric of such link. The aim of this study was to identify fleas, ticks, and Rickettsia spp., collected from domestic and wild carnivores in a natural reserve and surrounding human settlements in Central Chile, using morphological keys and molecular analysis. We surveyed 170 households from which 107 dogs and eight cats were sampled. From the natural reserve, we sampled two chilla foxes (Pseudalopex griseus Gray), two lesser grison (Galictis cuja Molina), three kodkods (Leopardus guigna Molina), and four dogs. From dogs, we collected Ctenocephalides felis Bouché, Ctenocephalides canis Curtis, Pulex irritans L., and Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. Latreille; C. felis was the most frequent ectoparasite. Cats were infested only by C. felis and Rh. sanguineus s.l. From wild carnivores, we obtained C. canis and P. irritans, the latter being most frequent. Molecular analysis of P. irritans detected 10 haplotypes and two main clades, which tended to separate fleas from wild and domestic hosts. Molecular analysis of ompA and ompB genes confirmed the presence of Rickettsia felis in fleas collected from owned dogs and cats, which could represent a potential risk factor of R. felis transmission in the area.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Andres Bello, Av. República 252, Santiago, Chile (danielapoomu@santotomas.cl; celizondo@iibce.edu.uy; fran.astorga.vet@gmail.com; gmedina@unab.cl).|Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Santo Tomás Sede Temuco, Manuel Rodríguez 060, Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: Daniela A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Poo-Muñoz
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Andres Bello, Av. República 252, Santiago, Chile (danielapoomu@santotomas.cl; celizondo@iibce.edu.uy; fran.astorga.vet@gmail.com; gmedina@unab.cl).|Genética de la Conservación-Departamento de Biodiversidad y Genética -IIBCE- MEC, Av. Italia 3318, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Elizondo-Patrone
authors.affiliation: Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA (lescobar@umn.edu).|Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.
authors.forename: Luis E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Escobar
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Andres Bello, Av. República 252, Santiago, Chile (danielapoomu@santotomas.cl; celizondo@iibce.edu.uy; fran.astorga.vet@gmail.com; gmedina@unab.cl).
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Astorga
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Investigación en Entomología Médica, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Panamá (bermudezsec@gmail.com).
authors.forename: Sergio E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Bermúdez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile (cmartinezv@med.puc.cl; katia@med.puc.cl).
authors.forename: Constanza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martínez-Valdebenito
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile (cmartinezv@med.puc.cl; katia@med.puc.cl).
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abarca
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Andres Bello, Av. República 252, Santiago, Chile (danielapoomu@santotomas.cl; celizondo@iibce.edu.uy; fran.astorga.vet@gmail.com; gmedina@unab.cl) gmedina@unab.cl.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Medina-Vogel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002335:Carnivora; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D002415:Cats; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D058267:Flea Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D041161:Rickettsia felis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012307:Risk Factors; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013987:Ticks / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins
keywords: Ctenocephalides; Pulex irritans; Rhipicephalus sanguineus; Rickettsia; wild–domestic interface