BACKGROUND: Leishmania parasites cause leishmaniasis in humans and animals worldwide. These parasites are transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies, which become infected upon feeding on an infected mammalian host. We assessed the occurrence of Leishmania infection in small mammals in an area of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis endemicity. METHODS: A total of 180 small mammals were trapped in 2003 and 2006 in a rural area in north-eastern Brazil. Spleen and skin samples from these animals were assessed by two PCR protocols, one targeting Leishmania (Viannia) spp. and other Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum. Additionally, serum samples were tested by an immunochromatographic test with rK39 as antigen. RESULTS: Overall, 23.2% (38/164) of the animals were positive to L. (V.) spp. and 8.8% (14/160) to L. (L.) infantum). Five animals of four species (Didelphis albiventris, Nectomys squamipes, Rattus rattus and Holochilus sciureus) were positive by both PCR protocols, an overall co-infection rate of 2.5%. By serology, 5% (7/139) of the animals were positive, but all of them were PCR-negative. An isolate obtained from a water rat (N. squamipes) was characterized as L. (V.) braziliensis (zymodeme Z-74). CONCLUSIONS: This study reinforces the involvement of different small mammals (e.g., N. squamipes, R. rattus and H. scieurus) in the transmission cycles of L. (V.) braziliensis and L. (L.) infantum in north-eastern Brazil. The finding of L. (V.) braziliensis infection in black rats suggests a rapid process of adaptation of a New World Leishmania species to an Old World rodent and raises interesting questions regarding the co-evolution of these parasites and their vertebrate hosts.
BACKGROUND:Leishmania parasites cause leishmaniasis in humans and animals worldwide. These parasites are transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies, which become infected upon feeding on an infected mammalian host. We assessed the occurrence of Leishmania infection in small mammals in an area of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis endemicity. METHODS: A total of 180 small mammals were trapped in 2003 and 2006 in a rural area in north-eastern Brazil. Spleen and skin samples from these animals were assessed by two PCR protocols, one targeting Leishmania (Viannia) spp. and other Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum. Additionally, serum samples were tested by an immunochromatographic test with rK39 as antigen. RESULTS: Overall, 23.2% (38/164) of the animals were positive to L. (V.) spp. and 8.8% (14/160) to L. (L.) infantum). Five animals of four species (Didelphis albiventris, Nectomys squamipes, Rattus rattus and Holochilus sciureus) were positive by both PCR protocols, an overall co-infection rate of 2.5%. By serology, 5% (7/139) of the animals were positive, but all of them were PCR-negative. An isolate obtained from a water rat (N. squamipes) was characterized as L. (V.) braziliensis (zymodeme Z-74). CONCLUSIONS: This study reinforces the involvement of different small mammals (e.g., N. squamipes, R. rattus and H. scieurus) in the transmission cycles of L. (V.) braziliensis and L. (L.) infantum in north-eastern Brazil. The finding of L. (V.) braziliensis infection in black rats suggests a rapid process of adaptation of a New World Leishmania species to an Old World rodent and raises interesting questions regarding the co-evolution of these parasites and their vertebrate hosts.
Authors: Lisa A Shender; Maxy De Los Santos; Joel M Montgomery; Patricia A Conrad; Bruno M Ghersi; Hugo Razuri; Andres G Lescano; Jonna A K Mazet Journal: PLoS One Date: 2014-07-25 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Filipe Dantas-Torres; Kamila Gaudêncio da Silva Sales; Débora Elienai de Oliveira Miranda; Fernando José da Silva; Luciana Aguiar Figueredo; Fábio Lopes de Melo; Maria Edileuza Felinto de Brito; Maria Sandra Andrade; Sinval Pinto Brandão-Filho Journal: PLoS Negl Trop Dis Date: 2017-02-27
Authors: Gabriel Barbosa Tonelli; Aline Tanure; Felipe Dutra Rego; Gustavo Mayr de Lima Carvalho; Rodolfo Stumpp; Gabriela Ribeiro Ássimos; Aldenise Martins Campos; Ana Cristina Viana Mariano da Rocha Lima; Célia Maria Ferreira Gontijo; Gustavo Fontes Paz; José Dilermando Andrade Filho Journal: PLoS One Date: 2017-12-28 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Maria S Andrade; Orin Courtenay; Maria E F Brito; Francisco G Carvalho; Ana Waléria S Carvalho; Fábia Soares; Silvia M Carvalho; Pietra L Costa; Ricardo Zampieri; Lucile M Floeter-Winter; Jeffrey J Shaw; Sinval P Brandão-Filho Journal: PLoS Negl Trop Dis Date: 2015-10-08
Authors: David M Pigott; Samir Bhatt; Nick Golding; Kirsten A Duda; Katherine E Battle; Oliver J Brady; Jane P Messina; Yves Balard; Patrick Bastien; Francine Pratlong; John S Brownstein; Clark C Freifeld; Sumiko R Mekaru; Peter W Gething; Dylan B George; Monica F Myers; Richard Reithinger; Simon I Hay Journal: Elife Date: 2014-06-27 Impact factor: 8.140
Authors: Gabriel Barbosa Tonelli; Aline Tanure; Felipe Dutra Rêgo; Gustavo Mayr de Lima Carvalho; Taynãna César Simões; José Dilermando Andrade Filho Journal: PLoS One Date: 2017-06-01 Impact factor: 3.240