Macaluso Kevin R, Pornwiroon Walairat, Popov Vsevolod L, Foil Lane D
Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2008 Jun;8(3):391-6. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2007.0218.
Rickettsia felis, a flea-associated rickettsial pathogen, has been identified in many tissues, including the digestive and reproductive tissues, within the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. We utilized transmission electron microscopy and polymerase chain reaction to identify R. felis in the salivary glands of fed fleas and further define the distribution of R. felis within the arthropod host. We identified Rickettsia-like organisms in salivary glands using electron microscopy. Sequence analysis of portions of the Rickettsia genus-specific 17-kDa antigen gene and R. felis plasmid confirmed the morphological identification of R. felis in cat flea salivary glands. This is the first report of R. felis in tissues critical for horizontal transmission of rickettsiae.
猫立克次氏体是一种与跳蚤相关的立克次氏体病原体,已在猫栉首蚤的许多组织中被鉴定出来,包括消化组织和生殖组织。我们利用透射电子显微镜和聚合酶链反应在饱血跳蚤的唾液腺中鉴定猫立克次氏体,并进一步确定猫立克次氏体在节肢动物宿主内的分布。我们通过电子显微镜在唾液腺中鉴定出了立克次氏体样生物。对立克次氏体属特异性17-kDa抗原基因部分和猫立克次氏体质粒进行序列分析,证实了在猫蚤唾液腺中对猫立克次氏体的形态学鉴定。这是关于猫立克次氏体在立克次氏体水平传播关键组织中的首次报道。