Title |
INFECTION BY Rickettsia felis IN OPOSSUMS (Didelphis sp.) FROM YUCATAN, MEXICO
|
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Published in |
Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo, January 2016
|
DOI | 10.1590/s1678-9946201658032 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Gaspar Peniche-Lara, Hugo A Ruiz-Piña, Enrique Reyes-Novelo, Karla Dzul-Rosado, Jorge Zavala-Castro |
Abstract |
Rickettsia felis is an emergent pathogen and the causative agent of a typhus-like rickettsiosis in the Americas. Its transmission cycle involves fleas as biological vectors (mainly Ctenocephalides felis) and multiple domestic and synanthropic mammal hosts. Nonetheless, the role of mammals in the cycle of R. felis is not well understood and many efforts are ongoing in different countries of America to clarify it. The present study describes for the first time in Mexico the infection of two species of opossum (Didelphis virginiana and D. marsupialis) by R. felis. A diagnosis was carried out from blood samples by molecular methods through the gltAand 17 kDa genes and sequence determination. Eighty-seven opossum samples were analyzed and 28 were found to be infected (32.1%) from five out of the six studied localities of Yucatan. These findings enable recognition of the potential epidemiological implications for public health of the presence of infected synanthropic Didelphis in households. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 1 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 1 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Mexico | 1 | 3% |
Unknown | 32 | 97% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Master | 6 | 18% |
Researcher | 3 | 9% |
Professor | 3 | 9% |
Student > Bachelor | 3 | 9% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 3 | 9% |
Other | 7 | 21% |
Unknown | 8 | 24% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 13 | 39% |
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine | 2 | 6% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 2 | 6% |
Arts and Humanities | 1 | 3% |
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 1 | 3% |
Other | 6 | 18% |
Unknown | 8 | 24% |