This study aimed to compare the epidemiology of Rickettsia felis infection and malaria in France, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa and to identify a common vector. Blood specimens from 3,122 febrile patients and from 500 nonfebrile persons were analyzed for R. felis and Plasmodium spp. We observed a significant linear trend (p<0.0001) of increasing risk for R. felis infection. The risks wer...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-tumorigenic effect of açai berry after chronic Helicobacter felis colonization in the stomachs of C57BL/6 mice. METHODS A total of 57 four-week-old female C57BL/6 mice (18 control mice and 39 experimental mice) were used. The mice were administered orogastrically with vehicle only or vehicle containing H. felis, 5...

Rickettsia felis, formerly called ELB agent, was identified by using molecular biology techniques in the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis felis) from southwestern Spain. For the first time this flea-transmitted rickettsia has been detected within its vector in Eurasia.

Objectives The objectives of the present study were to determine the duration of infestation by Amblyomma americanum necessary for transmission of Cytauxzoon felis to domestic cats and to determine if ingestion of C felis-infected A americanum by cats is a route of transmission. Methods Forty-nine cats were assigned to one of seven groups, with seven cats per group. Cats were infested with A am...

We herein present clinical findings of an Iriomote cat with Hepatozoon felis parasitemia. A male Iriomote cat was captured for ecological analyses three times from January 2010 to January 2011. Although this cat did not show any hematological abnormalities at the time of the first capture, H. felis parasitemia and increased serum creatine kinase levels were detected at the second and third capt...

sequencing. This infection rate is within the range (13.5%–90%) that has been reported for R. felis infecting Ctenocephalides fl eas in Brazil and Uruguay (2,3,7). Sixteen (72.7%) cats contained R. felis–reactive antibodies; 4 of them showed titers to R. felis at least 4-fold higher than those to the other 5 rickettsial strains, fi ndings that enabled us to technically conclude that these cats ...

Cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) are known as the primary vector and reservoir of Rickettsia felis, the causative agent of flea-borne spotted fever; however, field surveys regularly report molecular detection of this infectious agent from other blood-feeding arthropods. The presence of R. felis in additional arthropods may be the result of chance consumption of an infectious bloodmeal, but iso...

Case summary Cytauxzoonosis is a tick-borne disease of cats, and Oklahoma (OK), USA, is considered an enzootic state. To determine the prevalence of Cytauxzoon felis, blood was collected from free-roaming cats, as they are frequently exposed to tick vectors. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of C felis infection in free-roaming cats in north-central Oklahoma and central Iowa (IA). I...

BACKGROUND Rickettsia felis is a common emerging pathogen detected in mosquitoes in sub-Saharan Africa. We hypothesized that, as with malaria, great apes may be exposed to the infectious bite of infected mosquitoes and release R. felis DNA in their feces. METHODS We conducted a study of 17 forest sites in Central Africa, testing 1,028 fecal samples from 313 chimpanzees, 430 gorillas and 285 b...

Twenty adult, domestic short hair cats were randomly allocated into four groups of five cats and housed in separated cages. Each cat was infested with 25 fleas Ctenocephalides felis felis and 25 Ctenocephalides felis strongylus and 2 days later (day 0) the cats in group 1, 2 and 3 received a spot on application of selamectin, imidacloprid or fipronil, respectively, while the cats in group four ...