Authors:
Maria Liodaki Department of Public and Community Heath, School of Public Health, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2313-8136
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Gregory Spanakos National Public Health Organization, Marousi, Greece

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Michael Samarkos First Department of Medicine, Laikon Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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George L. Daikos Faculty of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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Varvara Christopoulou Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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Evangelia-Theophano Piperaki Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was the molecular detection of Bartonella spp. in fleas and ticks parasitizing cats and dogs from 39 locations in Attica, Greece. One hundred and forty five ectoparasites (104 fleas and 41 ticks) from 92 cats and 53 dogs were investigated individually using PCRs targeting the 16S–23S ribosomal RNA intergenic spacer (ITS) and the citrate synthase (gltA) genetic loci. Bartonella spp. were detected in 14 out of 104 fleas (13.5%) and in none of the ticks examined. Consequent sequence analysis of the amplicons from the two loci identified 3 strains as Bartonella henselae, and 11 as Bartonella clarridgeiae. Οur study demonstrates the presence of B. henselae and B. clarridgeiae in Ctenocephalides felis fleas from cat and dog in Greece. We also report a novel ITS sequence for B. clarridgeiae. Considering that fleas could pose a risk for human bartonellosis from their infected hosts, further studies on the public health risk of Bartonella presence in animal ectoparasites are warranted.

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Senior editors

Editor-in-Chief: Ferenc BASKA

Editorial assistant: Szilvia PÁLINKÁS

 

Editorial Board

  • Mária BENKŐ (Acta Veterinaria Hungarica, Budapest, Hungary)
  • Gábor BODÓ (University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary)
  • Béla DÉNES (University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest Hungary)
  • Edit ESZTERBAUER (Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary)
  • Hedvig FÉBEL (University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary)
  • László FODOR (University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary)
  • János GÁL (University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary)
  • Balázs HARRACH (Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary)
  • Peter MASSÁNYI (Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic)
  • Béla NAGY (Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary)
  • Tibor NÉMETH (University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary)
  • Zsuzsanna NEOGRÁDY (University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary)
  • Dušan PALIĆ (Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany)
  • Alessandra PELAGALLI (University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy)
  • Kurt PFISTER (Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Munich, Germany)
  • László SOLTI (University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary)
  • József SZABÓ (University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary)
  • Péter VAJDOVICH (University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary)
  • János VARGA (University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary)
  • Štefan VILČEK (University of Veterinary Medicine in Kosice, Kosice, Slovak Republic)
  • Károly VÖRÖS (University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary)
  • Herbert WEISSENBÖCK (University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria)
  • Attila ZSARNOVSZKY (Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary)

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Acta Veterinaria Hungarica
Language English
Size A4
Year of
Foundation
1951
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per Year
1
Issues
per Year
4
Founder Magyar Tudományos Akadémia
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Address
H-1051 Budapest, Hungary, Széchenyi István tér 9.
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Address
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ISSN 0236-6290 (Print)
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