Detection of Leishmania sp. in Rattus rattus in the city of Corrientes, Argentina

• Published in: Archivos de medicina veterinaria
• Main Authors: Ruiz, R. M., Bastiani, C. E., De Biasio, M. B., Alegre, E. A., Ramírez, N. N.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Archivos de Medicina Veterinaria 2015
• Subjects: roedores; Leishmania; PCR; microscopía; rodent; microscopy; Argentina; Cadena; Rattus rattus
• Online Access: http://revistas.uach.cl/index.php/amv/article/view/5403; https://doi.org/10.4067/S0301-732X2015000300020

Leishmaniasis is an important public health problem in tropical and subtropical countries worldwide. The identification of natural hosts ofLeishmaniais fundamental to better understand the epidemiology of the disease. The importance of rodents as reservoir hosts for differentLeishmaniaspecies have already been described in different countries, however there are not reports of this situation in Argentina. The aim of this work was to capture rodents in the city of Corrientes, Argentina and detectLeishmaniaspp. in spleens of rodents through molecular analysis using nested PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) technical and by light microscopy to detect amastigotes. The results showed that sixty four rodents were collected, sixty three of them were identified asRattus rattusand only one asMus musculus.Positive results were obtained by Nested PCR,LeishmaniaDNA was detected in 43.7% of 64 tissue samples (first round of nested PCR), 46.8% (second round of nested PCR) and 3.1% by light microscopy. This is the first report of its kind where synanthropic rodents were found to be naturally infected byLeishmaniaspp. in Corrientes city, Argentina. Further studies are needed to evaluate other organs and to differentiateLeishmaniaspecies. La leishmaniasis es un importante problema de salud pública en ciudades tropicales y subtropicales de todo el mundo. La identificación de reservorios naturales deLeishmaniaes fundamental para el mejor entendimiento de la epidemiología de la enfermedad. La importancia de roedores como reservorios de diferentes especies deLeishmaniaya fue descrita en diferentes ciudades, sin embargo no hay registro de esta situación en Argentina. El principio de este trabajo fue capturar roedores en la ciudad de Corrientes, Argentina, y detectarLeishmaniasp. en bazos de roedores mediante análisis molecular por técnica de PCR (reacción en cadena de la polimerasa) anidada y por microscopía óptica para detectar amastigotes. Los resultados mostraron que sesenta y cuatro roedores fueron capturados, sesenta y tres fueron ...