Zoonotic Bacteria in Fleas Parasitizing Common Voles, Northwestern Spain

• Main Authors: Ruth Rodríguez-Pastor, François Mougeot, Mª Dolors Vidal, Isabel Jado, Rosa M. González-Martín-Niño, Raquel Escudero, Juan José Luque-Larena
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2019-07-01
• Series: Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Subjects: flea- and rodent-borne diseases, vector, ectoparasite, transmission routes, small rodents; Microtus arvalis, vector-borne infections, bacteria, zoonoses, Spain, parasites, Francisella tularensis, Bartonella spp; flea-borne diseases; rodent-borne diseases; vector; ectoparasites
• Online Access: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/25/7/18-1646_article

We detected Francisella tularensis and Bartonella spp. in fleas parasitizing common voles (Microtus arvalis) from northwestern Spain; mean prevalence was 6.1% for F. tularensis and 51% for Bartonella spp. Contrasted vector–host associations in the prevalence of these bacteria suggest that fleas have distinct roles in the transmission cycle of each pathogen in nature.