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Molecular Evidence of Rickettsia felis in Phereoeca sp

Fernanda Sales de Araújo1, Rafael Mazioli Barcelos1, Tiago Antônio de Oliveira Mendes1

  • 1Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade de Viçosa - UFV, Viçosa. MG, Brasil.

Revista Brasileira De Parasitologia Veterinaria = Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Parasitology : Orgao Oficial Do Colegio Brasileiro De Parasitologia Veterinaria
|April 28, 2021
PubMed

Insights

This study reports the first identification of Rickettsia felis bacteria in Phereoeca moths. This finding suggests Rickettsia felis may associate with non-blood-feeding insects like moths.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Entomology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Rickettsia felis is an obligate intracellular bacterium known to infect arthropods.
  • R. felis has established mutualistic or obligatory relationships with various eukaryotes.
  • No prior scientific evidence documented an association between R. felis and moths (Lepidoptera).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report the first identification of Rickettsia felis in moths of the genus Phereoeca.
  • To investigate the potential association between R. felis and a non-blood-feeding insect host.

Main Methods:

  • Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays targeting gltA, ompA, and ompB genes for R. felis detection.
  • Morphological taxonomic keys and PCR analysis of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene for moth identification.
  • Nucleotide sequence analysis to confirm bacterial identity and moth species similarity.

Main Results:

  • Rickettsia felis was successfully identified in Phereoeca sp. moths.
  • Bacterial nucleotide sequences exhibited 100% identity with known R. felis sequences.
  • Moth larvae were identified as Phereoeca sp., showing 94.94% similarity to Phereoeca praecox.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides the first evidence of R. felis in Lepidoptera (moths).
  • R. felis may be capable of developing in organisms lacking blood-feeding behavior.
  • Further research is needed to determine the nature (pathogenic or mutualistic) of the R. felis-moth association.

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