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Detection of Rickettsia felis in Wild Mammals from Three Municipalities in Yucatan, Mexico

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to provide information of the occurrence of Rickettsia felis in wild mammals from three municipalities in Yucatan, Mexico. The reactivity of rodent serum to Rickettsia antigens was detected in 80.9% (17 of 21) samples using immunofluorescence assay. Polymerase chain reaction identified rickettsial DNA in spleens of 43.5% (10 of 23) rodents and 57.1% (4 of 7) opossums. The identification of the rickettsial DNA was confirmed as R. felis by restriction fragment length polymorphism and DNA sequencing. This study comprises the first report of R. felis detection in wild mammals in Yucatan.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Thomas Eldridge for the revision in English.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. PIMVS Tumben Kuxtal A.C., Calle 12 #64 x 5 y 7, C.P. 97470, Tixkokob, Yucatán, Mexico

    Jesús Alonso Panti-May

  2. Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, C.P. 97315, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

    Marco Torres-Castro & Silvia Hernández-Betancourt

  3. Laboratorio de Enfermedades Emergentes y Re-emergentes, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales “Dr. Hideyo Noguchi”, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Av. Itzáes #490 x 59, Centro, C.P. 97000, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

    Karla Dzul-Rosado, Jorge Zavala-Castro, Karina López-Avila & Raúl Tello-Martín

Authors
  1. Jesús Alonso Panti-May
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  2. Marco Torres-Castro
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  3. Silvia Hernández-Betancourt
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  4. Karla Dzul-Rosado
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  5. Jorge Zavala-Castro
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  6. Karina López-Avila
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  7. Raúl Tello-Martín
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Correspondence to Jesús Alonso Panti-May.

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Panti-May, J.A., Torres-Castro, M., Hernández-Betancourt, S. et al. Detection of Rickettsia felis in Wild Mammals from Three Municipalities in Yucatan, Mexico. EcoHealth 12, 523–527 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-014-1003-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-014-1003-2

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