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Applied and Environmental Microbiology Feb 2013A high prevalence of Bartonella infection is found in many natural systems; however, the transmission dynamics leading to observations of these infections is not fully...
A high prevalence of Bartonella infection is found in many natural systems; however, the transmission dynamics leading to observations of these infections is not fully understood. The capability of Xenopsylla ramesis fleas to serve as competent vectors of Bartonella sp. OE 1-1 (a strain closely related to the zoonotic Bartonella elizabethae) to Meriones crassus jirds was investigated. Naïve X. ramesis fleas were placed for 72 h on naïve jirds or jirds that were either experimentally or naturally infected with Bartonella sp. strain OE 1-1, after which they were placed on naïve jirds. Postfeeding, 69 to 100% of the fleas collected from each Bartonella-positive jird contained Bartonella DNA, and all naïve jirds became positive for Bartonella sp. OE 1-1 after infestation with the infected fleas. In addition, maternal transmission of Bartonella sp. OE 1-1 in jirds was tested by mating 5 Bartonella-positive and 5 naïve female jirds with 10 naïve male jirds in the absence of fleas. Fifteen offspring were delivered by each group. Cultures of blood drawn from all offspring on days 35 and 47 postdelivery were found to be negative for Bartonella. A single spleen sample from the offspring of a Bartonella-positive mother was found molecularly positive for Bartonella sp. OE 1-1. This study demonstrates that X. ramesis fleas are competent vectors of Bartonella sp. OE 1-1 to M. crassus jirds and indicates that maternal transmission is probably not the major transmission route from female jirds to their offspring. We suggest that the dynamics of Bartonella sp. OE 1-1 in the M. crassus jird population in nature is mostly dependent on its vectors.
Topics: Animals; Bartonella; Bartonella Infections; DNA, Bacterial; Disease Transmission, Infectious; Disease Vectors; Gerbillinae; Siphonaptera
PubMed: 23241972
DOI: 10.1128/AEM.03011-12 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2021Taxonomic decisions within the order have relied heavily on the interpretations of highly conserved 16S rRNA sequences and DNA-DNA hybridizations (DDH). Currently,...
Taxonomic decisions within the order have relied heavily on the interpretations of highly conserved 16S rRNA sequences and DNA-DNA hybridizations (DDH). Currently, bacterial species are defined as including strains that present 95-96% of average nucleotide identity (ANI) and 70% of digital DDH (dDDH). Thus, ANI values from 520 genome sequences of type strains from species of order were computed. From the resulting 270,400 comparisons, a ≥95% cut-off was used to extract high identity genome clusters through enumerating maximal cliques. Coupling this graph-based approach with dDDH from clusters of interest, it was found that: (i) there are synonymy between and , and , "," and , , and , , and , , and , and and ; (ii) is not a synonym of ; (iii) "" subsp. and "" subsp. represent members of different species; (iv) the genome accessions GCF_003024615.1 (" LMG 6,125"), GCF_003024595.1 (" LMG 11,892"), GCF_003096615.1 (" DSM 760"), and GCF_000373025.1 (" R-602 sp") are not from the genuine type strains used for the respective species descriptions; and v) "" Py2 and "" KCTC 2,477 represent cases of misuse of the term "type strain". comb. nov. and the reclassification of as is also proposed. To facilitate the downstream analysis of large ANI matrices, we introduce here ProKlust ("Prokaryotic Clusters"), an R package that uses a graph-based approach to obtain, filter, and visualize clusters on identity/similarity matrices, with settable cut-off points and the possibility of multiple matrices entries.
PubMed: 33841347
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.614957 -
Journal of Medical Entomology Mar 2015The Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) is a reservoir of many zoonotic pathogens and lives in close proximity to humans in urban environments. Human infection with...
The Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) is a reservoir of many zoonotic pathogens and lives in close proximity to humans in urban environments. Human infection with rodent-borne disease occurs either directly through contact with a rat or its excreta, or indirectly via arthropod vectors such as fleas and ticks. Here, we report on the diversity and abundance of ectoparasitic arthropod species and associated pathogenic bacteria from 133 Norway rats trapped over a 10-mo period in Manhattan, New York, NY. Norway rats were host to the tropical rat mite [Ornithonyssus bacoti (Hirst)], the spiny rat mite (Laelaps echidnina Berlese), Laelaps nuttalli Hirst, the spined rat louse [Polyplax spinulosa (Burmeister)], and the Oriental rat flea [(Xenopsylla cheopis) (Rothschild)], with an average of 1.7 species per individual. A flea index of 4.1 X. cheopis was determined, whereas previous studies in New York City reported 0.22 fleas per rat. Multiple species of pathogenic Bartonella were identified from Oriental rat fleas that were related to Bartonella tribocorum, Bartonella rochalimae, and Bartonella elizabethae. However, no evidence of Yersinia pestis or Rickettsia spp. infection was detected in fleas. The identification of multiple medically important ectoparasite species in New York City underscores the need for future efforts to fully characterize the diversity and distribution of ectoparasites on Norway rats, and assess the risk to humans of vector-borne disease transmission.
Topics: Animals; Arthropod Vectors; Bartonella; Female; Male; Mites; New York City; Phthiraptera; Rats; Xenopsylla
PubMed: 26336309
DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv014 -
PloS One 2014Bartonella bacilliformis is the etiologic agent of Carrion's disease. This disease has two well established phases, the most relevant being the so called Oroya Fever, in...
Bartonella bacilliformis is the etiologic agent of Carrion's disease. This disease has two well established phases, the most relevant being the so called Oroya Fever, in which B. bacilliformis infect the erythrocytes resulting in severe anemia and transient immunosuppression, with a high lethality in the absence of adequate antibiotic treatment. The presence of B. bacilliformis was studied in 113 blood samples suspected of Carrion's disease based on clinical criteria, despite the absence of a positive thin blood smear, by two different PCR techniques (using Bartonella-specific and universal 16S rRNA gene primers), and by bacterial culture. The specific 16S rRNA gene primers revealed the presence of 21 B. bacilliformis and 1 Bartonella elizabethae, while universal primers showed both the presence of 3 coinfections in which a concomitant pathogen was detected plus Bartonella, in addition to the presence of infections by other microorganisms such as Agrobacterium or Bacillus firmus. These data support the need to implement molecular tools to diagnose Carrion's disease.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Bartonella; Bartonella Infections; Child; Female; Geography; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Peru; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Young Adult
PubMed: 24651298
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092283 -
Infection Ecology & Epidemiology 2012Bartonella elizabethae has been reported as a causative agent of human illnesses and strains of this bacterium are commonly isolated from commensal small mammals in Asia.
BACKGROUND
Bartonella elizabethae has been reported as a causative agent of human illnesses and strains of this bacterium are commonly isolated from commensal small mammals in Asia.
METHODS
Since the zoonotic potential of a pathogen is often related to its host switching ability, we explored the capacity of a B. elizabethae strain to host switch by subcutaneously inoculating groups of Swiss Webster, BALB/c, and C57BL/6 mice with the bacteria at a range of doses.
RESULTS
A low number of mice in each of the three groups showed susceptibility to infection at high doses (10(5) and 10(6) bacteria), and developed bacteremias of 6-8 weeks duration.
CONCLUSION
The capacity of this B. elizabethae strain to switch hosts can have important public health consequences for humans in areas of Asia where many small mammal populations have high bartonellae infection prevalences and live as commensals with humans.
PubMed: 22957127
DOI: 10.3402/iee.v2i0.17132 -
Epidemiology and Infection Oct 2007Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) carry several zoonotic pathogens and because rats and humans live in close proximity in urban environments, there exists potential for...
Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) carry several zoonotic pathogens and because rats and humans live in close proximity in urban environments, there exists potential for transmission. To identify zoonotic agents carried by rats in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, we live-trapped 201 rats during 2005-2006 and screened them for a panel of viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Antibodies against Seoul virus (57.7%), hepatitis E virus (HEV, 73.5%), Leptospira interrogans (65.3%), Bartonella elizabethae (34.1%), and Rickettsia typhi (7.0%) were detected in Norway rats. Endoparasites, including Calodium hepatica (87.9%) and Hymenolepis sp. (34.4%), and ectoparasites (13.9%, primarily Laelaps echidninus) also were present. The risk of human exposure to these pathogens is a significant public health concern. Because these pathogens cause non-specific and often self-limiting symptoms in humans, infection in human populations is probably underdiagnosed.
Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Bacterial; Antibodies, Protozoan; Antibodies, Viral; Baltimore; Disease Reservoirs; Disease Vectors; Female; Humans; Male; Prevalence; Public Health; Rats; Seasons; Urban Health; Zoonoses
PubMed: 17224086
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268806007746