IN ANIMALS continued
CLINICAL DISEASE • Cats and dogs are susceptible to R. felis infection but are typically asymptomatic. • Infected cats that seroconvert after exposure to infected fleas may have a short-term rickettsaemia but its clinical significance as a feline pathogen is currently unknown. • Dogs may be bacteraemic but have normal haematological parameters and remain asymptomatic. 2
DIAGNOSIS • A test specifically for R. felis in companion animals is not commercially available, however PCR panels using pan- Rickettsia primers can be used in a research setting.
Life cycle of Rickettsia felis
Dogs are considered the primary mammalian reservoir, however cats may also be infected. Infection in dogs and cats is typically asymptomatic.
HORIZONTAL TRANSMISSION
Humans are infected through the bite of an infected flea.
The cat flea ( Ctenocephalides felis ) is the only confirmed vector of R. felis .
VERTICAL TRANSMISSION
Infection is maintained in fleas through transovarial and transstadial transmission. Vertical transmission may be sustained for up to 12 generations.
TRANSMISSION
• The most common route of exposure to Rickettsia felis in humans is via flea saliva through the bite of an infected flea. • A possible mechanism for indirect transmission is through cutaneous inoculation via contamination of broken skin or wounds with infectious vector faeces, as has been demonstrated with other rickettsial species. 10
CONTENTS
Companion Animal Zoonoses Guidelines 42
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