Cryptic Leishmaniosis by Leishmania infantum, a feature of canines only? A study of natural infection in wild rabbits, humans and dogs in southeastern Spain

An epidemiological study was carried out to investigate asymptomatic Leishmania infantum infection by PCR and ELISA in wild rabbits, humans and domestic dogs in southeastern Spain. Seroprevalence was 0% (0/36) in rabbits, 2% (13/657) in humans and 7% (14/208) in dogs. The prevalence of PCR-positives...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Veterinary parasitology 2011-09, Vol.181 (1), p.12-16
Main Authors: Chitimia, L., Muñoz-García, C.I., Sánchez-Velasco, D., Lizana, V., del Río, L., Murcia, L., Fisa, R., Riera, C., Giménez-Font, P., Jiménez-Montalbán, P., Martínez-Ramírez, Á., Meseguer-Meseguer, J.M., García-Bacete, I., Sánchez-Isarria, M.A., Sanchis-Monsonís, G., García-Martínez, J.D., Vicente, V., Segovia, M., Berriatua, E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Animals, Wild
Cryptic infection
Dog Diseases - epidemiology
Dog Diseases - parasitology
Dog Diseases - transmission
Dogs
Humans
Leishmania infantum
Leishmania infantum - genetics
Leishmania infantum - immunology
Leishmaniasis, Visceral - blood
Leishmaniasis, Visceral - epidemiology
Leishmaniasis, Visceral - transmission
Rabbits
Rabbits - parasitology
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Spain - epidemiology
Zoonoses - epidemiology
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Summary:An epidemiological study was carried out to investigate asymptomatic Leishmania infantum infection by PCR and ELISA in wild rabbits, humans and domestic dogs in southeastern Spain. Seroprevalence was 0% (0/36) in rabbits, 2% (13/657) in humans and 7% (14/208) in dogs. The prevalence of PCR-positives was 0.6% (1/162) in rabbits tested in a wide range of tissue samples, 2% (8/392) in humans analysed in blood samples and 10% (20/193) and 67% (29/43) in dogs analysed in blood and lymphoid tissue samples, respectively. Results suggest that wild rabbits have a very low risk of becoming chronically infected with L. infantum, and provide further evidence that cryptic L. infantum infection is widespread in the domestic dog population and is also present in a comparatively smaller proportion of healthy humans. The epidemiological and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
ISSN:0304-4017
1873-2550
DOI:10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.04.016