2024 journal article
A case of mistaken identity: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and reinvestigation of hemotropic <i>Mycoplasma</i> spp. infection in <i>Ctenocephalides felis</i> (cat flea)
PARASITES & VECTORS, 17(1).
Feline-associated hemotropic Mycoplasma (hemoplasmas) are believed to be transmitted by two primary mechanisms: (1) direct transmission via fighting and (2) vector-borne transmission by the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis). While the efficiency of transmission by C. felis appears low, most manuscripts focus on the prevalence of hemoplasmas in wild-caught fleas and report either a very low (< 3%) or a high (> 26%) prevalence. Therefore, we aimed to assess the influence of sample processing and PCR methods on C. felis hemoplasma infection prevalence.