Leishmania in synanthropic rodents (Rattus rattus): new evidence for the urbanization of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis

Abstract This study aimed to detect parasites from Leishmania genus, to determine the prevalence of anti-Leishmania spp. antibodies, to identify circulating species of the parasite, and to determine epidemiological variables associated with infection in rats caught in urban area of Londrina, Paraná,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária
Main Authors: Eloiza Teles Caldart, Roberta Lemos Freire, Fernanda Pinto Ferreira, Bruno Bergamo Ruffolo, Mônica Raquel Sbeghen, Marcelle Mareze, João Luis Garcia, Regina Mitsuka-Breganó, Italmar Teodorico Navarro
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Spanish
Portuguese
Published: Colégio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria
Subjects:
Leishmanioses
Londrina
PCR
zoonoses
Leishmania infantum
Animal culture
SF1-1100
Rattus rattus
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1590/s1984-29612017001
https://doaj.org/article/9d284683dec842bcab65689000a1d15a
Description
Summary:Abstract This study aimed to detect parasites from Leishmania genus, to determine the prevalence of anti-Leishmania spp. antibodies, to identify circulating species of the parasite, and to determine epidemiological variables associated with infection in rats caught in urban area of Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. Animal capture was carried out from May to December 2006, serological and molecular methods were performed. DNA was extracted from total blood, and nested-PCR, targeting SSu rRNA from Leishmania genus, was performed in triplicate. The positive samples were sequenced twice by Sanger method to species determination. In total, 181 rodents were captured, all were identified as Rattus rattus and none showed clinical alterations. Forty-one of the 176 (23.3%) animals were positive for Leishmania by ELISA and 6/181 (3.3%) were positive by IFAT. Nine of 127 tested animals (7.1%) were positive by PCR; seven were identified as L. (L.) amazonensis, one as L. (L.) infantum. Four rats were positive using more than one test. This was the first description of synanthropic rodents naturally infected by L. (L.) amazonensis (in the world) and by L. (L.) infantum (in South Brazil). Regarding L. (L.) amazonensis, this finding provides new evidence of the urbanization of this etiological agent.

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