The DOI matches its Crossref record; 18 of the 18 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Pathogen carriage by the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché) in the United Kingdom
Abstract
The carriage of Bartonella, Rickettsia felis and haemoplasma species was investigated in cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) collected from 121 cats and dogs in the United Kingdom. DNA extracted from fleas was analysed using genus and species-specific PCR and amplicons were characterised using DNA sequencing. Fifty percent of flea samples were PCR positive for at least one pathogen. Twenty one percent were positive for R. felis, 17% for Bartonella henselae, 40% for haemoplasma species and 20% were infected with more than one of the pathogen species studied. It is clear from the results in this study that companion cats and dogs are commonly infested with Ct. felis carrying bacterial pathogens of significance to human and animal health. These findings raise the possibility that Ct. felis found on dogs and cats are a potential source of infection with such pathogens for humans.
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“For instance, epidemiological changes in fleas and transmitted diseases are suggested by the apparent emergence of bartonellosis in Europe [159,160].”
From Fleas infesting pets in the era of emerging extra-intestinal nematodes (2013) · cites this paper as [159]
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Items 101–153 of 153
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“In the acute infection there is intermittent fever with progressive anaemia corresponding to the level of microorganisms in blood circulation (Sykes et al. 2003; Kenny et al. 2004).”
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“felis is known to transmit Dipylidium caninum tapeworms and Mycoplasma haemofelis [6,8].”
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Mifsud, M., Takács, N., Gyurkovszky, M., Solymosi, N., & Farkas, R. (2020) · Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases · doi:10.1089/vbz.2019.2553 · Cited by 8
“The mode of transmission of hemoplasmas to cats is not known accurately but vectors, mainly cat fleas are assumed to have a role in it (Shaw et al. 2004, Lappin et al. 2006).”
InfluentialZhang, Y., Nie, Y., Li, L.-Y., Chen, S.-Y., Liu, G., & Liu, W. (2022) · Parasites & Vectors · doi:10.1186/s13071-022-05393-6 · Cited by 8
The prevalence of Rickettsia felis DNA in fleas collected from cats and dogs in the UK
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“…(Bouché) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), 20 different types of endosymbionts or endoparasites, including bacteria, protozoa, and helminths, have been reported (Wenyon 1926, Jellison 1959, Jenkins 1964, Molyneux 1969, Strand 1977, Castillo 1980, Salem et al. 1980, Beard et al. 1990, Shaw et al. 2004).”
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PREVALENCE AND PATHOLOGY OF ARTHROPOD INFESTATION IN DOMESTIC AND STRAY CATS IN BANGLADESH
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“In addition, Kelly et al. (2005) and Shaw et al. (2004) noticed that cat fleas served as carriers of emerging human pathogens, Rickettsia felis, Bartonella henselae and B. clarridgeie in New Zealand and in the UK respectively.”
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Kandemir, Ç., Taşkın, T., Koşum, N., & Ün, C. (2019) · Hayvansal Üretim · doi:10.29185/hayuretim.511108 · Cited by 6
Galluzzo, P., Migliore, S., Puleio, R., Galuppo, L., Russa, F. L., Blanda, V., Tumino, S., Torina, A., Ridley, A., & Loria, G. R. (2021) · Microorganisms · doi:10.3390/microorganisms9112312 · Cited by 6
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Tasker, S., & Lappin, M. R. (2006) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b0-72-160423-4/50066-4 · Cited by 6
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Barker, E., & Tasker, S. (2021) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-50934-3.00058-6 · Cited by 4
Self-citationBartonella clarridgeiae in a cat in the UK
Robinson, M. T., Hillman, T., Langton, D. A., & Shaw, S. E. (2009) · Veterinary Record · doi:10.1136/vr.164.2.58 · Cited by 4
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“Diarrhea usually begins 3-4 days after the newborn cat has been injected with 100,000 sporocysts or in - fected mice.Cats are reported to be at risk of infection with C. felis , but there is conflicting information re - garding its pathogenicity (Shaw et al., 2004) .”
BackgroundEctoparasitoses of domestic and productive animals and ways to defend
Артеменко, Л. П., Гончаренко, В. П., Букалова, Н. В., Bakhur, T., Antipov, A., Lyasota, V., Литвиненко, О. П., & Bilan, A. (2020) · Naukovij vìsnik veterinarnoï medicini · doi:10.33245/2310-4902-2020-160-2-65-76 · Cited by 3
Two Clinical Cases of Feline Hemoplasmosis in Korea
Kim, Y. J., Bae, H., Shin, S. W., Cho, A., Jeon, Y., Hwang, T. S., Jung, D., Kim, D. Y., Kang, J., & Yu, D. (2022) · Korean Journal of Parasitology · doi:10.3347/kjp.2022.60.2.127 · Cited by 2
“and cat bites, or via blood transfusions [1,2,10-12].”
BackgroundPeralta, J., Carithers, D. S., Beugnet, F., & Lappin, M. R. (2024) · American Journal of Veterinary Research · doi:10.2460/ajvr.24.04.0102 · Cited by 2
“The infestations were repeated on days 14, 28, 42, and 56.”
BackgroundCanine flea control: too much choice?
Paterson, S. (2019) · Companion animal · doi:10.12968/coan.2019.0041 · Cited by 2
What’s bugging Himalayan big cats: vector-borne pathogens of wild tigers and leopards in Nepal
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“Transmission of Mycoplasma spp. in felids is not well studied but blood sucking arthropods including ticks and fleas have been suggested to be potential vectors (Shaw et al. 2004; Taroura et al. 2005; Lappin et al. 2006; Barrs et al. 2010; Reagan et al. 2017).”
Hosking, B. C., Smith, B. K., Schuele, G., Strehlau, G. A., & Junquera, P. (2009) · The journal of applied research in veterinary medicine · Cited by 1
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Infestation Diagnosis of Ectoparasitism in Red Fox and Jackles in South-west of Iran
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“…also been infected with either Bartonella clarridgeiae (Rolain et al. 2003), Bartonella henselae (Shaw et al. 2004), Bartonella quintana (Rolain et al. 2003, Marie et al. 2006), and Haemoplasma sp. (Shaw et al. 2004) or Spiroplasma, Stenotrophomonas, and Staphylococcus (Pornwiroon et al. 2007).”
BackgroundMaladies sanguines à transmission vectorielle chez le chat
Chabanne, L., Halos, L., Trumel, C., Beaufils, J.-P., & Legroux, J.-P. (2013)
Seguela, M. J.-P., Franc, M., Bret-Bennis, M. L., & Bonneau, M. S. (2007)
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“Arthropods, such as fleas and ticks, are suspected to play an important role in Mycoplasma haemofelis transmission (Shaw et al., 2004; Woods et al., 2005; Willi et al., 2007; Barrs et al., 2010).”
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Valentino, B. (2012)
Sréter-Lancz, Z., Tornyai, K., Széll, Z., Sréter, T., & Màrialigeti, K. (2006)
Contribuição para o estudo das Micoplasmoses hemáticas felinas em Portugal
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Miceli, N. G., Gavioli, F. A., Gonçalves, L. R., André, M. R., Sousa, V. R. F., Sousa, F., de Sousa, K. C. M., Machado, R. Z., & Filho, J. D. M. (2013)
Epidemiologische Untersuchungen zum Flohbefall bei Hunden und Katzen im Raum Leipzig
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Information Resources on the Care and Welfare of Dogs
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Babesiose felina e coinfecções: relato de caso
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Sahipli Kedi ve Köpeklerdeki Kene ve Pire Prevalansı
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Khatrawi, E. M., Benjamin, N. Z. Y., Inban, P., Sakthi, S., & Hussin, O. A. (2025) · Clinical Case Reports · doi:10.1002/ccr3.70641
Safwat, M. S. (2025) · Parasites & Vectors · doi:10.1186/s13071-025-07143-w
“The authors disregarded previously confirmed high prevalences determined by sequencing in several Jensen primer-based studies [5–7] and relied instead on a reanalysis experiment with methodological limitations to justify excluding all Jensen primer-derived data.”
InfluentialMoore, C. O., Lashnits, E. W., Lappin, M. R., & Breitschwerdt, E. B. (2026) · Parasites & Vectors · doi:10.1186/s13071-026-07315-2
“Indeed, we have revised the supplementary table 1 to include the corrected figures for fleas in the Zarea, Abdullah, and Shaw et al. studies [1–3].”
Braga, M. D. S. C. O. (2010) · Aleph UCLA Undergraduate Research Journal for the Humanities and Social Sciences
Metadata
- Authors
- Shaw, S. E., Kenny, M. J., Tasker, S., & Birtles, R. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Bristol (GB)
- University of Liverpool (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Shaw, S.E.
- Venue
- Veterinary Microbiology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2004-09
- Volume
- 102
- Issue
- 3-4
- Pages
- 183-188
- ISSN
- 0378-1135 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1977590128
- Cited by
- 154
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 7.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Veterinary Microbiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Bartonella species infections research
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Parasitology › Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research
- Keywords
- Ctenocephalides felis, pathogen carriage, Bartonella henselae, Rickettsia felis, hemoplasmas, flea-borne pathogens, companion animals, zoonotic transmission, flea infestation, United Kingdom
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Bartonella, Bartonella Infections, Cat Diseases, Cats, Disease Reservoirs, DNA, Bacterial, Dog Diseases, Dogs, Ectoparasitic Infestations, Siphonaptera, United Kingdom, Humans, Insect Vectors, Mycoplasma, Mycoplasma Infections, Rickettsia Infections, Prevalence, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections, Rickettsia felis
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