Emerging Risk of Flea-Borne <i>Bartonella</i> in Tropical Cities: Evidence from Stray Cats in the Klang Valley, Malaysia.

ABSTRACT: Urban stray cats are often associated with ectoparasites and zoonotic pathogens due to their unsanitary living conditions and lack of veterinary care. Fleas, especially Ctenocephalides spp., are competent vectors of Bartonella spp., a genus of emerging bacterial pathogens with both public health and veterinary relevance. This study investigated the presence of Bartonella DNA in ectoparasitic fleas infesting stray cats in various urban habitats within the Klang Valley, Malaysia. A total of 204 fleas were collected from 89 stray cats. Fleas were identified morphologically using established taxonomic keys under a light microscope and further validated through PCR amplification of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) gene. Detection of B

SUBMITTER: Alison JT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12733989 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature