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J. Venom. Anim. Toxins incl. Trop. Dis.

V.20, 2014.

Original paper - ISSN 1678-9199.

 

Molecular detection of Leishmania spp. in road-killed wild mammals in the Central Western area of the State of São Paulo, Brazil

 
Virginia Bodelão Richini-Pereira, Pamela Merlo Marson, Enio Yoshinori Hayasaka, Cassiano Victoria, Rodrigo Costa da Silva , Hélio Langoni*

 

Departamento de Higiene Veterinária e Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Distrito de Rubião Júnior, s/n, Botucatu, SP, Brasil

 

ABSTRACT

Background

Road-killed wild animals have been classified as sentinels for detecting such zoonotic pathogens as Leishmania spp., offering new opportunities for epidemiological studies of this infection.

 

Methods

This study aimed to evaluate the presence of Leishmania spp. and Leishmania chagasi DNA by PCR in tissue samples (lung, liver, spleen, kidney, heart, mesenteric lymph node and adrenal gland) from 70 road-killed wild animals.

 

Results

DNA was detected in tissues of one Cavia aperea (Brazilian guinea pig), five Cerdocyon thous (crab-eating fox), one Dasypus septemcinctus (seven-banded armadillo), two Didelphis albiventris (white-eared opossum), one Hydrochoerus hydrochoeris (capybara), two Myrmecophaga tridactyla (giant anteater), one Procyon cancrivorus (crab-eating raccoon), two Sphiggurus spinosus (porcupine) and one Tamandua tetradactyla (lesser anteater) from different locations in the Central Western part of São Paulo state. The Leishmania chagasi DNA were confirmed in mesenteric lymph node of one Cerdocyon thous. Results indicated common infection in wild animals.

 

Conclusions

The approach employed herein proved useful for detecting the environmental occurrence of Leishmania spp. and L. chagasi, as well as determining natural wild reservoirs and contributing to understand the host-parasite interaction.

 

Key words: Road-killed animal; Leishmania spp; Leishmania chagasi; PCR; Zoonosis

 

Ethics committee approval

This study is in accordance with the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources’ (IBAMA) normative statement n. 119 of October 11, 2006, chapter VI, art .26, which authorizes the collection and transport of animals that were found dead for scientific or didactic purposes. This work was also approved by the Ethics Committee for Animal Experimentation of our Institution (CEEA/FMVZ n.211/2008).

 

Received: January 6, 2014; Revised: June 4, 2014; Accepted: June 16, 2014

 

Corresponding author: Hélio Langoni hlangoni@fmvz.unesp.br

 

Competing interests

The authors declare that there are no competing interests.

 

Authors’ contributions

VBRP participated in the design of the study, data collection, laboratory tests, analysis and interpretation of data, writing and editing of the manuscript. PMM and EYH participated in the data collection, laboratory tests and took part in the writing. CV participated in geographical location of animals, analysis and interpretation of data, writing and revision of the manuscript. RCS participated in the analysis and interpretation of data, writing and revision. HL was responsible for the coordination, study design, analysis and interpretation of data, writing and editing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.