摘要：Rickettsia felis was first recognised two decades ago and has now been described as endemic to all continents except Antarctica. The rickettsiosis caused by R. felis is known as flea-borne spotted fever or cat-flea typhus. The large number of arthropod species found to harbour R. felis, and be potential vectors, supports the view that it is a pan-global microbe. The main arthropod reservoir and vector is the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, yet a further twenty other species of fleas, ticks and mites have been reported to harbour R. felis. Few other bacterial pathogens have been found associated with such a diverse range of invertebrates. With the projected increase in global temperature over the next few decades, there is concern that changes to the ecology and distribution of R. felis vectors may adversely impact on public health.Keywords: Rickettsia felis; cat flea typhus; flea-borne spotted fever; Ctenocephalides felis(Published: 1 July 2011)Citation: Emerging Health Threats Journal 2011, 4: 7168 - DOI: 10.3402/ehtj.v4i0.7168
