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Flea-borne spotted fever (FBSF) caused by Rickettsia felis is an arthropod-borne zoonosis. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, primary species and genotype(s) of R. felis infecting fleas from dogs and cats.

All fleas were identified as Ctenocephalides felis felis. All rickettsial DNA detected in fleas was identified as being 100% homologous to R. felis URRWXCal2, with positivity within tropical, subtropical and temperate regions noted at 6.7%, 13.2% and 15.5%, respectively. Toy/small breed dogs were found to be at a lower odds of harboring R. felis-positive fleas compared with large breed dogs on univariate analysis, while DMH and pedigree breed cats were at a lower odds compared to DSH cats. Cooler minimum temperature ranges of between 15 to 20 °C and between 8 to 15 °C increased the odds of R. felis positivity in …