The Iriomote cat and Tsushima leopard cat are endangered wildcats in Japan and inhabit only Iriomote-jima and Tsushima islands, respectively. Domestic dogs and cats living on Iriomote-jima and Tsushima islands were surveyed to clarify the interrelationship between wildcats and domestic animals regarding tick-borne disease transmission. Pathogen-derived DNA in blood samples was detected by polym...

In humans, the risk of contracting cryptosporidiosis caused by Cryptosporidium felis is considered to be relatively low, and most of the confirmed cases have been observed in immunocompromised patients. Both anthroponotic and zoonotic transmission routes have been suggested. Here, we report a case of suspected zoonotic transmission of C. felis from a cat to a human. The cat developed diarrhea s...

The first cluster of cases of human Rickettsia felis infection in Spain diagnosed by PCR is reported.

Taxonomy The order chlamydiales has one family, chlamydiaceae, and one genus, chlamydia. Currently four species are recognized, Chlamydia trachomatis, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Chlamydia psittaci , and Chlamydia pecorum. To date, 19 different Chlamydia trachomatis serovars (41) and several Chlamydia psittaci serovars are known (6 avian (65), 9 mammalian (29)), but only one Chlamydia pneumoniae (40,...

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis(CT) is an obligate intracellular bacteria, requires living cells to replicate itself. CT infection can remain up to 4 years in the couple and affect their fertility. The relationship between CT and infertility is very important because most patients are asymptomatic and untreated. After infection with CT, NK activation signals begin through interactions of its ...

CD24 is expressed in the putative stem cells within several tissues and is overexpressed in gastric and colonic adenocarcinomas. Perturbed CD24 expression may therefore alter the response of gastrointestinal epithelia to damage-inducing stimuli that induce cancer. We have investigated the effects of CD24 deletion on gastric responses to Helicobacter felis infection and γ-irradiation using CD24-...

In dogs Helicobacter spp. are found in all gastric regions usually localized in the surface mucus, gastric glands and parietal cells. The aim of this study was to detail the distribution of Helicobacter spp. in the fundic mucosa of asymptomatic Beagle dogs and their intracellular localization within parietal cells, in order to evaluate species-specific pathogenetic effects on gastric cells. The...

Helicobacter infection causes a chronic superficial gastritis that in some cases progresses via atrophic gastritis to adenocarcinoma. Proapoptotic bak has been shown to regulate radiation-induced apoptosis in the stomach and colon and also susceptibility to colorectal carcinogenesis in vivo. Therefore we investigated the gastric mucosal pathology following H. felis infection in bak-null mice at...

BACKGROUND There is higher rate of R. felis infection among febrile patients than in healthy people in Sub-Saharan Africa, predominantly in the rainy season. Mosquitoes possess a high vectorial capacity and, because of their abundance and aggressiveness, likely play a role in rickettsial epidemiology. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Quantitative and traditional PCR assays specific for Ricketts...