We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Occurrence of Leishmania infantum in Wild Mammals Admitted to Recovery Centers in Spain.
- Authors
Azami-Conesa, Iris; Pérez-Moreno, Paula; Matas Méndez, Pablo; Sansano-Maestre, Jose; González, Fernando; Mateo Barrientos, Marta; Gómez-Muñoz, María Teresa
- Abstract
Zoonotic leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum is distributed worldwide and affects humans and domestic and wild mammals. In Europe, specifically in the Mediterranean basin, leishmaniasis is endemic due to the concurrence of the phlebotomine vectors and reservoir mammals, including carnivorous wildlife species and other less studied wild species. In this article, spleen, skin, and eye or oral swabs taken from 134 wild mammals admitted to five wildlife recovery centers in Spain were used. PCR employing fragments of the Repeat region, ITS1, and SSUrRNA were used for detection, and positive samples were processed for sequencing. L. infantum was detected in three out of the nine species analyzed, including European hedgehog, European badger, and red squirrel, with percentages ranging from 11.53 to 35.71%, depending on the species. Most of the species showed higher percentages of positivity in spleen samples than in skin samples. A small number of animals from the remaining six species tested negative, including Algerian hedgehog, stone marten, least weasel, garden dormouse, western polecat, and Egyptian mongoose. Hedgehogs and badgers are good candidates for consideration as epidemiological sentinels and pose a higher risk as potential reservoirs of leishmaniasis based on their percentage of infection and wide distribution.
- Subjects
SPAIN; LEISHMANIA infantum; OLD World badger; MAMMALS; WILDLIFE recovery; TAMIASCIURUS; SAND flies
- Publication
Pathogens, 2023, Vol 12, Issue 8, p1048
- ISSN
2076-0817
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/pathogens12081048