Fleas and sucking lice are important vectors of multiple pathogens causing major epidemics worldwide. However these insects are vectors of a wide range of largely understudied and unattended pathogens, especially several species of bacteria's of the genera Bartonella and Rickettsia. For this reason the aim of the present work was to identify the presence and diversity of Bartonella and Rickettsia species in endemic murine typhus foci in Hidalgo, México. A cross-sectional study was carried out to collect small mammals and their associated ectoparasites during October, 2014. Samples of liver and ear of hosts, and ectoparasites were fixed in absolute ethanol and examined to identify the presence of Bartonella and Rickettsia DNA by the amplification of specific fragments of the gltA and ompB genes using conventional PCR. The recovered sequences were compared with those deposited in GenBank, and phylogenetic analyzes were carried out to identify the position of the pathogens detected with respect to the valid species previously reported worldwide. A total of 47 fleas and 172 sucking lice, belonging to five families (Ceratophyllidae, Leptopsyllidae, Ctenophtalmidae, Hoplopleuridae, Polyplacidae) and related to six species were collected from 40 rodents of four species and one shrew. Only four hosts (two P. beatae, and two R. norvergicus) were positive to Bartonella elizabethae, Bartonella vinsonii and Rickettsia typhi. In the case of ectoparasites, 23 specimens of two flea species (Peromyscopsylla hesperomys and Plusaetis mathesoni) tested positive for B. vinsonii. No evidence of Bartonella or Rickettsia was detected in any lice. Our findings represent the first record of Bartonella elizabethae a confirmed zoonotic pathogen causing endocarditis in México and several new associations of Bartonella with Mexican flea species, which highlight the importance of the establishment of active entomological surveillance in wildlife. Las pulgas y los piojos son vectores de patógenos causantes de epidemias de importancia histórica. Sin embargo, estos insectos son vectores de una amplia gama de patógenos poco estudiados y no atendidos, especialmente varias especies de bacterias de los géneros Bartonella y Rickettsia. Por este motivo, el objetivo del presente trabajo fue identificar la presencia y diversidad de las especies de Bartonella y Rickettsia en un foco de tifus murino en el estado de Hidalgo, México. Se realizó un estudio transversal para recolectar hospederos y sus ectoparásitos durante octubre de 2014. Las muestras de hígado y oreja de los hospederos y los ectoparásitos se fijaron en etanol absoluto y se examinaron para identificar la presencia de ADN de Bartonella y Rickettsia mediante la extracción de DNA y amplificación de fragmentos específicos de los genes gltA y ompB. Las secuencias obtenidas fueron comparadas con aquellas depositadas en GenBank y se realizaron análisis filogenéticos para identificar la posición de los patógenos detectados respecto a las especies válidas previamente reportadas a nivel mundial. Se re...

Multiple species of viruses circulate in wild mammals, some of them potentially causing zoonosis. Most of the suspected viral zoonotic diseases affecting human patients remain unidentified with regard to their aetiological agent. The aim of this study is to summarize the state of knowledge of the viral richness associated with wild mammals in Mexico throughout 1900–2018 and their relationship with human cases. We compiled two databases, one of them containing all available published studies on potentially zoonotic viruses in wild mammals and another with human cases related to zoonotic viruses. The database on wild mammals covers the period of 1900–2018; the human case database spans 2000–2013. We calculated the richness of viral potential zoonotic agents and evaluated their geographical distribution. We found 262 records of 42 potential zoonotic viral species associated with 92 wild mammal species in 28 states across Mexico. Records of human viral cases were only found in 29 states, which did not overlap with the reports in wild mammals. We detected 25.6% (42/164) of viral zoonotic agents reported worldwide. This analysis opens a relevant topic of discussion for public health attention.

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