Detection of Bartonella spp. in rat blood and fleas
Bartonella spp. are a genus of zoonotic, intracellular bacteria that infect erythrocytes and endothelial cells. Bartonella spp. are transmitted among rodents and from rodents to people by hematophagus arthropods, particularly fleas, therefore close contact with rodents harbouring infected fleas can be a risk factor for people. The objective of this study was to characterize the Bartonella spp. present in Norway rats and their fleas in an under-served neighbourhood of Vancouver, Canada.