Prevalence and Genetic Diversity of Bartonella Strains in Rodents from Northwestern Mexico
Por:
Rubio A.V., Ávila-Flores R., Osikowicz L.M., Bai Y., Suzán G., Kosoy M.Y.
Publicada:
1 dic 2014
Resumen:
Bartonella infections were investigated in wild rodents from
northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico. A total of 489 rodents belonging to 14
species were surveyed in four areas. Bartonella bacteria were cultured
from 50.1% of rodent samples (245/489). Infection rates ranged from 0%
to 83.3% per rodent species, with no significant difference between
sites except for Cynomys ludovicianus. Phylogenetic analyses of the
citrate synthase gene (gltA) of the Bartonella isolates revealed 23
genetic variants (15 novel and 8 previously described), clustering into
five phylogroups. Three phylogroups were associated with Bartonella
vinsonii subsp. vinsonii, B. vinsonii subsp. arupensis, and B.
washoensis, respectively. The other two phylogroups were not genetically
related to any known Bartonella species. The genetic variants and
phylogenetic groups exhibited a high degree of host specificity, mainly
at the genus and family levels. This is the first study that describes
the genetic diversity of Bartonella strains in wild rodents from Mexico.
Considering that some variants found in this study are associated with
Bartonella species that have been reported as zoonotic, more
investigations are needed to further understand the ecology of
Bartonella species in Mexican wildlife and their implications for human
health.
Filiaciones:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Fac Med Vet & Zootecnia, Dept Etol Fauna Silvestre & Anim Lab, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Tabasco, Mexico
Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, United States
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