N Cardona-Castro1, J C Beltrán, A Ortiz-Bernal, V Vissa. 1. Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical-Universidad CES, Cra. 43a No. 52 Sur 99 Sabaneta, Antioquia, Colombia. ncardona@ces.edu.co
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To use DNA detection methodologies to test for M. leprae in nine-banded armadillos inhabiting forested regions located around the cities and towns where leprosy patients have been identified. DESIGN: Ear lobe biopsies of 22 nine-banded armadillos were studied during a 2 year period. The biopsies were processed for DNA extraction and amplification by nested polymerase chain reaction (N-PCR) of a fragment of the high copy DNA locus of M. leprae known as R-LEP. RESULTS: Nine of the 22 (40.9%) armadillos evaluated showed positive signals for M. leprae. Sequencing confirmed that PCR products were identical to the corresponding region of M. leprae DNA. CONCLUSIONS: In Colombia, South America, the consumption of and contact with the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) are common, ignoring the fact that this animal can host and be a possible zoonotic reservoir of Mycobacterium leprae, the causal agent of leprosy. This is the first study demonstrating that M. leprae is present in nine-banded armadillos in a region of Colombia using specific DNA detection. The possibility of leprosy transmission due to contact and consumption of armadillo meat or use of blood for therapeutic purposes should be further investigated.
OBJECTIVE: To use DNA detection methodologies to test for M. leprae in nine-banded armadillos inhabiting forested regions located around the cities and towns where leprosypatients have been identified. DESIGN: Ear lobe biopsies of 22 nine-banded armadillos were studied during a 2 year period. The biopsies were processed for DNA extraction and amplification by nested polymerase chain reaction (N-PCR) of a fragment of the high copy DNA locus of M. leprae known as R-LEP. RESULTS: Nine of the 22 (40.9%) armadillos evaluated showed positive signals for M. leprae. Sequencing confirmed that PCR products were identical to the corresponding region of M. leprae DNA. CONCLUSIONS: In Colombia, South America, the consumption of and contact with the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) are common, ignoring the fact that this animal can host and be a possible zoonotic reservoir of Mycobacterium leprae, the causal agent of leprosy. This is the first study demonstrating that M. leprae is present in nine-banded armadillos in a region of Colombia using specific DNA detection. The possibility of leprosy transmission due to contact and consumption of armadillo meat or use of blood for therapeutic purposes should be further investigated.
Authors: Carlos Franco-Paredes; Luis A Marcos; Andrés F Henao-Martínez; Alfonso J Rodríguez-Morales; Wilmer E Villamil-Gómez; Eduardo Gotuzzo; Alexandro Bonifaz Journal: Clin Microbiol Rev Date: 2018-11-14 Impact factor: 26.132
Authors: Jéssica da Silva Ferreira; Diego Augusto Souza Oliveira; João Pedro Santos; Carla Carolina Dias Uzedo Ribeiro; Bruna A Baêta; Rafaella Câmara Teixeira; Arthur da Silva Neumann; Patricia Sammarco Rosa; Maria Cristina Vidal Pessolani; Milton Ozório Moraes; Gervásio Henrique Bechara; Pedro L de Oliveira; Marcos Henrique Ferreira Sorgine; Philip Noel Suffys; Amanda Nogueira Brum Fontes; Lesley Bell-Sakyi; Adivaldo H Fonseca; Flavio Alves Lara Journal: PLoS Negl Trop Dis Date: 2018-12-19
Authors: Rahul Sharma; Pushpendra Singh; W J Loughry; J Mitchell Lockhart; W Barry Inman; Malcolm S Duthie; Maria T Pena; Luis A Marcos; David M Scollard; Stewart T Cole; Richard W Truman Journal: Emerg Infect Dis Date: 2015-12 Impact factor: 6.883