title: Prevalence and Phylogenetic Analysis of Bartonella Species of Wild Carnivores and Their Fleas in Northwestern Mexico.
abstract: The host-parasite-vector relationship of Bartonella spp. system in wild carnivores and their fleas from northwestern Mexico was investigated. Sixty-six carnivores belonging to eight species were sampled, and 285 fleas belonging to three species were collected during spring (April-May) and fall (October-November) seasons. We detected Bartonella species in 7 carnivores (10.6%) and 27 fleas (9.5%) through either blood culture or PCR. Of the 27 Bartonella-positive fleas, twenty-two were Pulex simulans, three were Pulex irritans and one was Echidnophaga gallinacea. The gltA gene and ITS region sequences alignment revealed six and eight genetic variants of Bartonella spp., respectively. These variants were clustered into Bartonella rochalimae, Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii and another genotype, which likely represents a novel species of Bartonella spp. Although experimental infection studies are required to prove the vector role of P. simulans, our results suggest that this flea may play an important role in the Bartonella transmission. The results indicated possible host-specific relationships between Bartonella genotypes and the families of the carnivores, but further studies are needed to verify this finding. The presence of zoonotic species of Bartonella spp. in wild carnivores raises the issue of their potential risk for humans in fragmented ecosystems.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Etología, Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, C.P. 04510, Ciudad de México, México.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: López-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Osikowicz
authors.affiliation: Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montenieri
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Etología, Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, C.P. 04510, Ciudad de México, México.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rubio
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Etología, Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, C.P. 04510, Ciudad de México, México.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gage
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Etología, Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, C.P. 04510, Ciudad de México, México. gerardosuz@gmail.com.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Suzán
authors.affiliation: Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kosoy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001473:Bartonella / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000662:veterinary*; D002335:Carnivora / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000145:classification*
keywords: Bartonella; Mexico; fleas; phylogeny; prevalence; wild carnivores