Flea-borne Rickettsia species in fleas, Caldas department, Colombia

Carol B Colonia; Alejandro  Ramírez-Hernández; Juliana Gil-Mora; Juan C Agudelo; Gabriel Jaime Castaño Villa; Camilo Pino; Paola  Betancourt-Ruiz; Jorge E Pérez Cárdenas; Lucas S Blanton; Marylin Hidalgo

doi:10.3855/jidc.12524

Flea-borne Rickettsia species in fleas, Caldas department, Colombia

Authors

Carol B Colonia Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
Alejandro Ramírez-Hernández Grupo Parasitología Veterinaria, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y de Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
Juliana Gil-Mora Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
Juan C Agudelo Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
Gabriel Jaime Castaño Villa Grupo de investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Desarrollo Rural y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
Camilo Pino Laboratorio de Investigación en Sistemas Inteligentes, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
Paola Betancourt-Ruiz Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
Jorge E Pérez Cárdenas Facultad de Ciencias para la Salud, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
Lucas S Blanton Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
Marylin Hidalgo Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C., Colombia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.12524

Keywords:

Rickettsia felis, Rickettsia asembonensis, RFLP, vector-borne diseases, zoonotic diseases

Abstract

Introduction: Rickettsioses are zoonotic diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Rickettsia and transmitted to man by means of arthropod vectors such as ticks, fleas, mites and lice. Historically, Caldas Department has reported a significant number of cases of murine typhus to the Colombian national health surveillance system, and consequent studies of flea-borne rickettsiosis identified the circulation of Rickettsia typhi and Rickettsia felis in multiple municipalities. Our aim was to genotype species of Rickettsia detected in fleas collected from domestic and wild mammals in Caldas.

Methodology: Flea samples were taken by convenience sampling from dogs, cats and wild mammals (rodents and marsupials) in 26 municipalities. Specimens were classified by current taxonomic keys and pooled for DNA extraction and molecular screening for Rickettsia spp. by PCR amplification of gltA, htrA and sca5 genes. Positive samples were genotyped by enzyme digestion (htrA) and sequencing.

Results: A total of 1388 flea samples were collected. Rickettsia DNA was amplified in 818 (gltA), 883 (htrA) and 424 (sca5) flea pools. Alignment analysis with available Rickettsia DNA sequences showed greater similarity with R. asembonensis (gltA) and with R. felis (sca5 and htrA). Restriction pattern was compatible with R. felis. R. typhi was not identified.

Conclusion: The present study confirms the presence and high prevalence of R. asembonensis and R. felis in fleas from domestic and wild animals in different municipalities from Caldas Department.

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Published

2020-10-31

How to Cite

Colonia CB, Ramírez-Hernández A, Gil-Mora J, Agudelo JC, Castaño Villa GJ, Pino C, Betancourt-Ruiz P, Pérez Cárdenas JE, Blanton LS, Hidalgo M (2020) Flea-borne Rickettsia species in fleas, Caldas department, Colombia. J Infect Dev Ctries 14:1155–1163. doi: 10.3855/jidc.12524

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Issue

Vol. 14 No. 10: October 2020

Section

Original Articles

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