Bartonella rochalimae in a flea collected from a Mephitis macroura in Sonora Mexico.

Purpose: At least thirty species of wild carnivores have been recorded harboring Bartonella, and one of the most common pathogenic species infecting them is Bartonella rochalimae, which can cause endocarditis in humans and dogs. This bacterium can infect various mammals including wild carnivores, as well as ectoparasitic vectors such as fleas and ticks. Here we report the presence of B. rochalimae, in a Pulex simulans flea collected from a Mephitis macroura skunk in the municipality of Santa Cruz in Sonora, Mexico.

Methods: Fleas were collected from a M. macroura in Sonora, Mexico, in October 2019. They were identified to species level and subsequently tested for the presence of Bartonella using molecular tools including conventional PCR, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis.

Results: A total of 10 P. simulans fleas (one male, nine females) were collected from the M. macroura skunk. The PCR and phylogenetic analysis indicated a prevalence of 10% (1/10) and a sequence clustered with the clade of B. rochalimae.

Conclusions: We confirmed the presence of B. rochalimae in a P. simulans flea collected from a M. macroura skunk in the area of Santa Cruz, Sonora, Mexico. Based on our results and previous studies in northern Mexico, which are consistent, it is necessary to continue monitoring Bartonella in M. macroura skunks and their fleas, since they could be important reservoirs of this bacterium in northern Mexico.