Table 2.
Results of pathogens investigated by PCR in ticks, fleas and cats
| Pathogens | Number of positive ticks, fleas or cats/total number of ticks, fleas or cats (%) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ticks | Fleasa | Feline blood | |
| Bartonella spp. | 2/73 (2.7) | 20/28 (71.4) | 16/42 (38.1) |
| Hemoplasmas | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 11/42 (26.2) |
| Rickettsia spp. | 5/73 (6.8) | 23/28 (82.1) | 0 (0) |
| Ehrlichia spp./Anaplasma spp. | 0 (0) | NE | 0 (0) |
| Piroplasmid | 1/73 (1.4) | NE | 0 (0) |
| Hepatozoon felis | 0 (0) | NE | 0 (0) |
| Leishmania infantum | 8/73 (10.9) | 2/28 (7.1) | 3/42 (7.1) |
| Total (%)b | 14/73 (19.2) | 27/28 (96.4) | 18/42 (42.8) |
NE: not evaluated
a10 single fleas and 18 flea pools (range 2–5 fleas/pool); bTotal number of specimens positive at least to one pathogen. Co-infections were counted only once