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8 results for “Ctenocephalides felis”
Identification of microbial taxa present in Ctenocephalides felis (cat flea) reveals widespread co-infection and associations with vector phylogeny
<p><strong>Background </strong></p> <p><em>Ctenocephalides</em> <em>felis</em>, the cat flea, is the most common ectoparasite of cats and dogs worldwide. As a cause of flea allergy dermatitis and a vector for two genera of zoonotic pathogens (<em>Bartonella</em> and <em>Rickettsia</em> spp.), the effect of the <em>C</em>. felis <em>microbiome</em> on pathogen transmission and vector survival is of substantial medical importance to both human and veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to assay the pathogenic and commensal eubacterial microbial communities of individual <em>C</em>. <em>felis</em> from multiple geographic locations and analyze these findings by location, qPCR pathogen prevalence, and flea genetic diversity.</p> <p><strong>Methods </strong></p> <p>16S Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) was utilized to sequence the microbiome of fleas collected from free-roaming cats, and the <em>cox1</em> gene was used for flea phylogenetic analysis. NGS data were analyzed for 168 individual fleas from seven locations within the US and UK. Given inconsistency in the genera historically reported to constitute the <em>C</em>. <em>felis</em> microbiome, we utilized the decontam prevalence method followed by literature review to separate contaminants from true microbiome members.</p> <p><strong> Results </strong></p> <p>NGS identified a single dominant and cosmopolitan amplicon sequence variant (ASV) from <em>Rickettsia</em> and <em>Wolbachia</em> while identifying one dominant <em>Bartonella</em> <em>clarridgeiae</em> and one dominant <em>Bartonella henselae/Bartonella</em> <em>koehlerae</em> ASV. Multiple less common ASVs from these genera were detected within restricted geographical ranges. Co-detection of two or more genera (<em>Bartonella</em>, <em>Rickettsia</em>, and/or <em>Wolbachia</em>) or multiple ASVs from a single genus in a single flea was common. <em>Achromobacter</em>, <em>Peptoniphilus</em>, and <em>Rhodococcus</em> were identified as additional candidate members of the <em>C</em>. <em>felis</em> microbiome on the basis of decontam analysis and literature review. <em>Ctenocephalides</em> <em>felis</em> phylogenetic diversity as assessed by the <em>cox1</em> gene fell within currently characterized clades while identifying seven novel haplotypes. NGS sensitivity and specificity for <em>Bartonella</em> and <em>Rickettsia</em> spp. DNA detection was compared to targeted qPCR.</p> <p><strong>Conclusions </strong></p> <p>Our findings confirm the widespread coinfection of fleas with multiple bacterial genera and strains, proposing three additional microbiome members. The presence of minor <em>Bartonella</em>, <em>Rickettsia</em>, and <em>Wolbachia</em> ASVs was found to vary by location and flea haplotype. These findings have important implications for flea-borne pathogen transmission and control. </p>
The association of host and vector characteristics with Ctenocephalides felis pathogen and endosymbiont infection
<p>Surveillance of the flea species and flea-borne pathogens infecting cats is important for both human and animal health. Multiple zoonotic <em>Bartonella</em> and <em>Rickettsia</em> species are known to infect the most common flea-infesting cats and dogs worldwide: <em>Ctenocephalides</em> <em>felis</em>, the cat flea. The ability of other flea species to transmit pathogens is relatively unexplored. We aimed to determine cat host and flea factors independently associated with flea infection with <em>Bartonella</em> and <em>Rickettsia</em> species. We also compared the presence and prevalence of cat host and flea pathogen infection by geographic location. To accomplish these aims, we performed qPCR for the detection of <em>Bartonella</em>, hemotropic <em>Mycoplasma</em>, <em>Rickettsia</em>, and <em>Wolbachia</em> DNA using paired cat and flea samples obtained from free-roaming cats presenting for spay or neuter across multiple geographic locations in the United States. A logistic regression model was employed to identify the effect of cat (sex, body weight, geographic location, and <em>Bartonella</em>, hemotropic <em>Mycoplasma</em>, and <em>Rickettsia</em> spp. infection) and flea (clade, pathogen infection, and <em>Wolbachia</em> infection) factors on <em>C. felis Bartonella clarridgeiae</em> infection. From 189 free-roaming cats, we collected 84 fleas from four flea species: <em>Ctenocephalides</em> <em>felis</em> (78/84, 92%), <em>Cediopsylla</em> <em>simplex</em> (4/84, 5%), <em>Orchopeas</em> <em>howardi</em> (1/84), and <em>Nosopsyllus</em> <em>fasciatus</em> (1/84). <em>Ctenocephalides</em> <em>felis</em> were phylogenetically assigned to Clades 1, 4, and 6 by <em>cox1</em> gene amplification. <em>Rickettsia</em> <em>asembonensis</em> (52/84, 62%) and <em>B. clarridgeiae</em> (16/84, 19%) were the most common pathogenic bacteria detected in fleas. Our model identified host cat sex and body weight as independently associated with <em>B. clarridgeiae</em> infection in fleas. When controlling for cat sex, body weight, and number of fleas collected from each cat, flea infection with <em>B. clarridgeiae</em> was not associated with geographic location, flea infection with Rickettsia spp. or Wolbachia spp., or cat infection with <em>B. clarridgeiae</em>. <em>Rickettsia asembonensis</em>, <em>Rickettsia</em> <em>felis</em> (7/84, 8%), and <em>Bartonella</em> <em>henselae</em> (7/84, 8%) were only found in fleas from specific clades: <em>R. felis</em> was detected only in Clades 1 and 6, while <em>B. henselae</em> and <em>R. asembonensis</em> were detected only in Clade 4. <em>Wolbachia</em> spp. also displayed clade specificity with strains other than <em>Wolbachia</em> wCfeT only infecting fleas from Clade 6. There was poor flea and host agreement for <em>Bartonella</em> spp. infection; however, there was agreement in the <em>Bartonella</em> species detected in cats and fleas by geographic location. These findings reinforce the importance of considering reservoir host attributes and vector phylogenetic diversity in epidemiological studies of flea-borne pathogens. Furthermore, while flea pathogen infection was not indicative of infection in a specific host cat, it may provide insight into the pathogens present in specific geographic areas. Widespread sampling from across the United States is necessary to identify the geographic, host, and vector factors driving flea-borne pathogen presence and transmission.</p>
Feeding on a Bartonella henselae infected host triggers temporary changes in the Ctenocephalides felis microbiome
<p>The effect of <em>Bartonella</em> <em>henselae</em> on the microbiome of its vector, <em>Ctenocephalides</em> <em>felis</em> (the cat flea) is largely unknown, as a majority of <em>C. felis</em> microbiome studies have utilized wild-caught pooled fleas. Therefore, we surveyed the microbiome of laboratory-origin <em>C. felis</em> fed on <em>B. henselae-</em>infected cats to identify changes to microbiome diversity and microbe prevalence compared to unfed fleas, and fleas fed on uninfected cats. To evaluate changes over time, fleas were fed on cats for 24 hours or 9 days. Utilizing Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) on the Illumina platform, we documented an increase in microbial diversity, richness, and evenness in <em>C. felis</em> fed on <em>Bartonella</em>-infected cats for 24 hours, changes that returned to baseline (unfed fleas or fleas fed on uninfected cats) after 9 days on the host. The increased diversity in the <em>C. felis</em> microbiome when fed on <em>B. henselae</em>-infected cats may be related to the mammalian, flea, or endosymbiont response, factors that remain to be explored and potentially exploited for pathogen control. In addition, poor <em>B</em>. <em>henselae</em> acquisition was documented in these laboratory-maintained <em>C. felis</em>. Potential hypotheses to account for this finding include poor acquisition by adult fleas, the influence of flea genetic variation on <em>B. henselae</em> acquisition, and lack of co-feeding with <em>B. henselae</em>-infected <em>C. felis</em>. This study provides an investigation of the <em>C. felis</em> microbiome response to blood feeding and blood-feeding on <em>B. henselae</em>-infected cats; however, future studies are necessary to fully characterize the effect of endosymbionts and <em>C. felis</em> diversity on <em>B. henselae</em> acquisition.</p>
The association of host and vector characteristics with Ctenocephalides felis pathogen and endosymbiont infection
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Identification of microbial taxa present in Ctenocephalides felis (cat flea) reveals widespread co-infection and associations with vector phylogeny
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Feeding on a Bartonella henselae infected host triggers temporary changes in the Ctenocephalides felis microbiome
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Data from: Horizontal transmission of Rickettsia felis between cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis
Rickettsia felis is a rickettsial pathogen primarily associated with the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. Although laboratory studies have confirmed that R. felis is maintained by transstadial and transovarial transmission in C. felis, distinct mechanisms of horizontal transmission of R. felis among cat fleas is undefined. Based on the inefficient vertical transmission of R. felis by cat fleas and the detection of R. felis in a variety of hematophagous arthropods, we hypothesize that R. felis is horizontally transmitted between cat fleas. Towards testing this hypothesis, flea transmission of R. felis via a bloodmeal was assessed weekly for four weeks. Rhodamine B was used to distinguish uninfected recipient and R. felis-infected donor fleas in a rickettsial horizontal transmission bioassay and quantitative real-time PCR assay was utilized to measure transmission frequency; immunofluorescence assay also confirmed transmission. Female fleas acquired R. felis-infection more readily than male fleas after feeding on a R. felis-infected bloodmeal for 24 h (69.3% and 43.3%, respectively) and both Rickettsia-uninfected recipient male and female fleas became infected with R. felis after co-feeding with R. felis-infected donor fleas (3.3-40.0%). Distinct bioassays were developed to further determine that R. felis was transmitted from R. felis-infected to uninfected fleas during co-feeding and copulation. Vertical transmission of R. felis by infected fleas was not demonstrated in this study. The demonstration of horizontal transmission of R. felis between cat fleas has broad implications for the ecology of R. felis rickettsiosis.
Data from: Horizontal transmission of Rickettsia felis between cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis
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