Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29677221›Full record

ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2018

A 2015 outbreak of flea-borne rickettsiosis in San Gabriel Valley, Los Angeles County, California.

Kimberly Nelson, Alice N Maina, Angela Brisco, Chelsea Foo, Curtis Croker, Van Ngo, Rachel Civen, Allen L Richards, Kenn Fujioka, J Wakoli Wekesa

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed
2.7field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 30 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Cat Flea Coinfection withVector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.) · 2024
    Article
  5. Surveillance of Flea-Borne Typhus in California, 2011-2019.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2024
    Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Current Data onMicroorganisms · 2022
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Manifestations and Management of Flea-Borne Rickettsioses.Research and reports in tropical medicine · 2021
    Review
  11. Review
  12. Rickettsiae Within the Fleas of Feral Cats in Galveston, Texas.Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.) · 2019
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Kimberly NelsonSan Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District, West Covina, California, United States of America.
Alice N MainaViral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America.
Angela BriscoSan Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District, West Covina, California, United States of America.
Chelsea FooAcute Communicable Disease Control, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
Curtis CrokerAcute Communicable Disease Control, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
Van NgoAcute Communicable Disease Control, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
Rachel CivenAcute Communicable Disease Control, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
Allen L RichardsViral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America.
Kenn FujiokaSan Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District, West Covina, California, United States of America.
J Wakoli WekesaSan Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District, West Covina, California, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0003-3562-6014
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health · USNaval Medical Research Command · USCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · US

Funding

OSTLTS CDC HHS U38 OT000143
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Although flea-borne rickettsiosis is endemic in Los Angeles County, outbreaks are rare. In the spring of 2015 three human cases of flea-borne rickettsiosis among residents of a mobile home community (MHC) prompted an investigation. Fleas were ubiquitous in common areas due to presence of flea-infested opossums and overabundant outdoor cats and dogs. The MHC was summarily abated in June 2015, and within five months, flea control and removal of animals significantly reduced the flea population. Two additional epidemiologically-linked human cases of flea-borne rickettsiosis detected at the MHC were suspected to have occurred before control efforts began. Molecular testing of 106 individual and 85 pooled cat fleas, blood and ear tissue samples from three opossums and thirteen feral cats using PCR amplification and DNA sequencing detected rickettsial DNA in 18.8% of the fleas. Seventeen percent of these cat fleas tested positive for R. felis-specific DNA compared to under two (<2) percent for Candidatus R. senegalensis-specific DNA. In addition, serological testing of 13 cats using a group-specific IgG-ELISA detected antibodies against typhus group rickettsiae and spotted fever group rickettsiae in six (46.2%) and one (7.7%) cat, respectively. These results indicate that cats and their fleas may have played an active role in the epidemiology of the typhus group and/or spotted fever group rickettsial disease(s) in this outbreak.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAnimalsAntibodies, BacterialCat DiseasesCatsDisease OutbreaksFlea InfestationsHumansInsect VectorsLos AngelesMaleMiddle AgedRickettsia felisRickettsia InfectionsSiphonapteraAntibodies, Bacterial

Identifiers

PMID29677221
PMCPMC5931684
OpenAlexW2800495014

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC0
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.