Pathogenic bacterial species and the microbiome of cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) inhabiting flea-infested homes
Wolbachia, Rickettsia, and Bartonella were the most prevalent and abundant taxa. Spiroplasma was identified as a fourth core member of the flea microbiome. Long-read sequencing enabled better, but not perfect, species-level classification of Bartonella and Rickettsia compared to short-read sequencing. Important relationships between specific ASVs and flea sources were identified, for example fleas from cats harbored higher abundances of B. clarridgeiae and B. henselae than fleas from traps.
Authors
- Taylor Gin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2508-7929)
- Kamilyah R. Miller
- Benjamin J. Callahan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8752-117X)
- Charlotte O. Moore (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1173-6019)
- Brian H. Herrin
- Michael S. Canfield
- Amiah Gray
- Erin Lashnits
- T. G. Tomlinson
- Cameron Sutherland
- Grace Wilson
- Krista Li
Institutions
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- North Carolina State University (US)
- Kansas State University (US)
- Pasco–Hernando State College (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- PLoS ONE
- Published
- 2026-01-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0341824
- Primary Topic
- Bartonella species infections research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- National Institutes of Health
- Elanco Animal Health