First molecular detection of Rickettsia felis in fleas from Algeria.

Fleas collected in Algeria in the district of Oran between July and September 2003 were tested by polymerase chain reaction for the presence of Rickettsia spp. DNA using primers amplifying gltA and OmpA genes. Two gltA sequences identical to those of an emerging pathogen, Rickettsia felis, were detected including i) R.

Characterization of the long-wavelength opsin from Mecoptera and Siphonaptera: does a flea see?

Mecoptera and Siphonaptera represent two insect orders that have largely been overlooked in the study of insect vision. Recent phylogenetic evidence demonstrates that Mecoptera (scorpionflies) is paraphyletic, with the order Siphonaptera (fleas) nesting as sister to the family Boreidae (snow fleas), showing an evolutionary trend towards reduction in gross eye morphology within fleas. We provide the first molecular characterization of long-wavelength opsins from these three lineages (opsin gene from fleas [FL-Opsin], the Boreidae [B-Opsin], and a mecopteran family [M-Opsin]) and assess the effects of loss of visual acuity on the structure and function of the opsin gene.

Genetic and phylogeographic structure of populations of Pulex simulans (Siphonaptera) in Peru inferred from two genes ( CytB and CoII).

In this paper we discuss the potential usefulness of determining the phylogeographic and phylogenetic patterns of a vector for understanding the spread of pathogens or insecticide resistance. We do so using the example of Pulex simulans in Peru. Six populations from six different localities were investigated.

Pathoecology of Chiribaya parasitism.

The excavations of Chiribaya culture sites in the Osmore drainage of southern Peru focused on the recovery of information about prehistoric disease, including parasitism. The archaeologists excavated human, dog, guinea pig, and llama mummies. These mummies were analyzed for internal and external parasites.

[Occurrence and distribution of ectoparasites in guinea pigs (Cavia spp.) in Peru, South America].

Studies on the prevalence and distribution of ectoparasites in Peru were carried out during a period of 2 1/2 years. The survey included 17,421 domesticated guinea pigs (Cavia aperea f. porcellus) from 14 departments in all bioregions and altitude levels and 143 wild guinea pigs (Cavia aperea) from three areas (El Paramo, Junin and La Raya) in the Andes and the Cordillera.

[Palaeoparasitological analysis of guinea pig mummies of the Chiribaya culture, Moquegua Valley, Peru].

During several excavations of archeological sites in the Moquegua Valley, Southern Peru, various guinea pig mummies (Cavia aperea f. porcellus) have been discovered. They belong to the Chiribaya Culture (900-1100 AD).