Bartonellae in animals and vectors in New Caledonia

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Zoonotic Pathogens

Background:

• Bartonella species are gram-negative bacteria with a complex life cycle involving vertebrate hosts and arthropod vectors.
• Understanding Bartonella reservoirs and transmission is crucial for public health and animal health management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the sources and reservoirs of Bartonella infections in animals and their associated vectors in New Caledonia.
• To identify Bartonella species present in domestic and wild animals and their ectoparasites.

Main Methods:

• Blood samples were collected from dogs, cats, bovines, horses, and deer.
• Arthropod parasites (keds, ticks, fleas, lice) were collected from these animals.
• Bartonella isolation and identification were performed using bacterial culture and multi-gene sequencing (16S, ITS, rpoB, gltA, ftsZ).
• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used to detect Bartonella in keds and deer.

Main Results:

• Ten Bartonella strains were isolated: four Bartonella henselae from cats and six Bartonella chomelii from cattle.
• The Bartonella chomelii strains from cattle were genetically similar to French reference strains, suggesting importation.
• PCR detected Bartonella aff. schoenbuchensis in 35% of keds and 31% of deer.

Conclusions:

• Cats are confirmed as the primary reservoirs of Bartonella henselae in New Caledonia.
• Hippoboscidae flies (keds) are identified as potential vectors for ruminant-associated Bartonella species.
• The findings contribute to understanding Bartonella epidemiology in New Caledonia and inform disease control strategies.