Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Veterinary Medicine
Infection Potential Of Rickettsia Felis Via Ingestion, Matthew M. Schexnayder
Infection Potential Of Rickettsia Felis Via Ingestion, Matthew M. Schexnayder
LSU Master's Theses
Rickettsia felis is the etiologic agent of flea-borne spotted fever (FBSF) in humans and a poorly described cause of fever in animals. It is transmitted by its primary arthropod vector and reservoir host, the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis. Known routes of Rickettsia felis transmission between Rickettsia felis-infected cat fleas and vertebrate hosts include cutaneous bites and contamination of cutaneous wounds with infective flea feces. The bulk of FBSF infections occur in young children in Africa, though infections of people at all ages all over the world have been confirmed. As mammals and young children frequently come into contact …
Influence Of Tick Transmission On The Host Response To Rickettsial Infection, Soma Chowdhury
Influence Of Tick Transmission On The Host Response To Rickettsial Infection, Soma Chowdhury
LSU Master's Theses
Several members of the spotted fever group (SFG) of Rickettsia are transmitted to the host through infected ixodid (hard) ticks, which can serve as both vectors and reservoirs. Multiple studies have demonstrated that ticks secrete proteins into the bite site of the host that suppress innate and adaptive immune responses. While this suppression of immune responses is beneficial to the tick, it may also be beneficial to the transmitted Rickettsia. We hypothesize that Rickettsia utilize the tick’s ability to alter the host immune response at the tick feeding site to successfully establish infection. In the current study, we analyzed how …