Publication: Dissemination of bloodmeal acquired Rickettsia felis in cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis
Issued Date
2013
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Language
eng
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Mahidol University
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BioMed Central (Open access)
Bibliographic Citation
Parasites & Vectors. Vol.6, No.149 (2013), 1-7
Suggested Citation
Chutima Thepparit, Supanee Hirunkanokpun, Popov, Vsevolod L, Foil, Lane D, Macaluso, Kevin R Dissemination of bloodmeal acquired Rickettsia felis in cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis. Parasites & Vectors. Vol.6, No.149 (2013), 1-7. Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/1818
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Title
Dissemination of bloodmeal acquired Rickettsia felis in cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis
Abstract
Background: Cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis, are known biological vectors for Rickettsia felis. Rickettsial transmission
can be vertical via transovarial transmission within a flea population, as well as horizontal between fleas through a
bloodmeal. The previously undescribed infection kinetics of bloodmeal-acquired R. felis in cat fleas provides insight
into the R. felis-flea interaction.
Findings: In the present study, dissemination of R. felis in previously uninfected cat fleas fed an R. felis-infected
bloodmeal was investigated. At weekly intervals for 28 days, rickettsial propagation, accumulation, and dissemination in
gut epithelial cells, specifically in the hindgut and the specialized cells in the neck region of midgut, were observed on
paraffin sections of infected cat fleas by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and confirmed by PCR detection of R. felis
17-kDa antigen gene. IFA results demonstrate ingested rickettsiae in vacuoles during early infection of the gut;
lysosomal activity, indicated by lysosome marker staining of freshly-dissected gut, suggests the presence of
phagolysosome-associated vacuoles. Subsequent to infection in the gut, rickettsiae spread to the hemocoel and other
tissues including reproductive organs. Densely-packed rickettsiae forming mycetome-like structures were observed in
the abdomen of infected male cat fleas during late infection. Ultrastructural analysis by transmission electron
microscopy (TEM) confirmed the presence and infection characteristics of Rickettsia including rickettsial destruction in
the phagolysosome, rickettsial division, and accumulation in the flea gut.
Conclusions: This study intimately profiles R. felis dissemination in cat fleas and further illuminates the mechanisms of
rickettsial transmission in nature.