Fleas as parasites of the family Canidae
Open Access
- 18 July 2011
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Parasites & Vectors
- Vol. 4 (1), 139
- https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-4-139
Abstract
Historically, flea-borne diseases are among the most important medical diseases of humans. Plague and murine typhus are known for centuries while the last years brought some new flea-transmitted pathogens, like R. felis and Bartonella henselae. Dogs may play an essential or an accidental role in the natural transmission cycle of flea-borne pathogens. They support the growth of some of the pathogens or they serve as transport vehicles for infected fleas between their natural reservoirs and humans. More than 15 different flea species have been described in domestic dogs thus far. Several other species have been found to be associated with wild canids. Fleas found on dogs originate from rodents, birds, insectivores and from other Carnivora. Dogs therefore may serve as ideal bridging hosts for the introduction of flea-borne diseases from nature to home. In addition to their role as ectoparasites they cause nuisance for humans and animals and may be the cause for severe allergic reactions.Keywords
This publication has 101 references indexed in Scilit:
- Investigating combinatorial approaches in virtual screening on human inducible 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (PFKFB3): A case study for small molecule kinasesAnalytical Biochemistry, 2011
- Zoonotic helminths affecting the human eyeParasites & Vectors, 2011
- Zoonoses in the BedroomEmerging Infectious Diseases, 2011
- Evolution and diversity of RickettsiabacteriaBMC Biology, 2009
- Occurrence of Rickettsia felis in dog and cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) from ItalyParasites & Vectors, 2009
- Parasites of importance for human health in Nigerian dogs: high prevalence and limited knowledge of pet ownersBMC Veterinary Research, 2008
- Plague and the Human Flea, TanzaniaEmerging Infectious Diseases, 2007
- Early-phase transmission of Yersinia pestis by unblocked fleas as a mechanism explaining rapidly spreading plague epizooticsProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2006
- Cluster of Cases of Human Rickettsia felis Infection from Southern Europe (Spain) Diagnosed by PCRJournal of Clinical Microbiology, 2006
- Rickettsia felisin Fleas, Western AustraliaEmerging Infectious Diseases, 2006