title: Distribution and Diversity of Bartonella washoensis Strains in Ground Squirrels from California and Their Potential Link to Human Cases.
abstract: We investigated the prevalence of Bartonella washoensis in California ground squirrels (Otospermophilus beecheyi) and their fleas from parks and campgrounds located in seven counties of California. Ninety-seven of 140 (69.3%) ground squirrels were culture positive and the infection prevalence by location ranged from 25% to 100%. In fleas, 60 of 194 (30.9%) Oropsylla montana were found to harbor Bartonella spp. when screened using citrate synthase (gltA) specific primers, whereas Bartonella DNA was not found in two other flea species, Hoplopsyllus anomalus (n = 86) and Echidnophaga gallinacea (n = 6). The prevalence of B. washoensis in O. montana by location ranged from 0% to 58.8%. A majority of the gltA sequences (92.0%) recovered from ground squirrels and fleas were closely related (similarity 99.4-100%) to one of two previously described strains isolated from human patients, B. washoensis NVH1 (myocarditis case in Nevada) and B. washoensis 08S-0475 (meningitis case in California). The results from this study support the supposition that O. beecheyi and the flea, O. montana, serve as a vertebrate reservoir and a vector, respectively, of zoonotic B. washoensis in California.
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Fort Collins, Colorado.
authors.forename: Lynn M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Osikowicz
authors.affiliation: 2 Vector-Borne Disease Section, California Department of Public Health , Ontario, California.
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Billeter
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Fort Collins, Colorado.
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.affiliation: 3 Vector Management Program, Environmental Health Division, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health , Baldwin Park, California.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Rood
authors.affiliation: 2 Vector-Borne Disease Section, California Department of Public Health , Ontario, California.
authors.forename: Ashley N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.affiliation: 2 Vector-Borne Disease Section, California Department of Public Health , Ontario, California.
authors.forename: Joseph E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.affiliation: 2 Vector-Borne Disease Section, California Department of Public Health , Ontario, California.
authors.forename: Renjie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: 4 Division of Scientific Resources, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, Georgia .
authors.forename: Phalasy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Juieng
authors.affiliation: 4 Division of Scientific Resources, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, Georgia .
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Loparev
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Fort Collins, Colorado.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kosoy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001473:Bartonella / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000382:microbiology; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D009505:Nevada / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012589:Sciuridae / Q000382:microbiology*; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000382:microbiology; D015047:Zoonoses
keywords: Bartonella washoensis; California; Oropsylla montana; Otospermophilus beecheyi; ground squirrel