BACKGROUND Since its first detection, characterization of R. felis has been a matter of debate, mostly due to the contamination of an initial R. felis culture by R. typhi. However, the first stable culture of R. felis allowed its precise phenotypic and genotypic characterization, and demonstrated that this species belonged to the spotted fever group rickettsiae. Later, its genome sequence revea...

SFG rickettsiae and R. typhi have been observed, but a lack of cross-reactions has also been observed (9). It has been noted (10) that when cross-reactions were observed between R. felis and both R. conorii and R. typhi, the infection was probably related to R. felis. When cross-reactions were observed between R. felis and only R. typhi, the causative agent was most probably of the typhus group...

Jump performances of Ctenocephalides canis and Ctenocephalides felis felis have been measured and compared on unfed young imagos. The mean length of the C. felis felis jump was 19.9+/-9.1cm; minimum jump was 2cm, and the maximum was one 48cm. The C. canis jump was significantly longer (30.4+/-9.1cm; from 3 to 50cm). For height jump evaluation, grey plastic cylindric tubes measuring 9cm in diame...

Rickettsia felis was first recognised two decades ago and has now been described as endemic to all continents except Antarctica. The rickettsiosis caused by R. felis is known as flea-borne spotted fever or cat-flea typhus. The large number of arthropod species found to harbour R. felis and that may act as potential vectors support the view that it is a pan-global microbe. The main arthropod res...

To the Editor: Rickettsiosis due to Rickettsia felis is an emerging disease that has been reported worldwide (1). Fever, headache, myalgia, and macular rash have been attributed to R. felis infection in humans (1). In South America, R. felis infection in fl eas (mostly Ctenocephalides spp.) has been reported only in Brazil, Peru, and Uruguay (2–3). Although a growing number of articles have rep...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) treatment followed by chronic Helicobacter pylori SS1 and H. felis colonization on the stomachs of C57BL/6 mice. The role of MNU and Helicobacter species in gastric carcinogenesis was also elucidated. METHODS A total of 69 C57BL/6 mice at 4 weeks of age were divided into 6 groups according to MNU tr...

Helicobacter infection leads to chronic inflammation of the stomach. Although the infection persists in spite of an immune response, animal studies have shown that adjuvant-based oral vaccines can protect against infection and even eliminate established infection. These vaccines are thought to induce a Th2 immune response, counterbalancing the Th1 response seen with natural infections. As a pre...

Among 310 fleas collected from dogs and cats in Germany, Rickettsia felis was detected in all specimens (34) of Archaeopsylla erinacei (hedgehog flea) and in 9% (24/226) of Ctenocephalides felis felis (cat flea). R. helvetica was detected in 1 Ceratophyllus gallinae (hen flea).