Evaluation of an active and early surveillance methodology for visceral leishmaniasis by molecular detection in road-killed wild fauna

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate a methodology for active surveillance of visceral leishmaniasis by detecting Leishmania DNA in organs of wild road-killed animals from November 2016 to October 2018 in the North of Paraná, Brazil. The collection points of road-killed wild animals were georeferenced. The animals were autopsied and samples of bone marrow, lymph node, liver, spleen, and ear skin were collected. Genomic DNA was extracted and subjected to PCR for amplification of Leishmania spp. 18S, kinetoplastic DNA (kDNA), HSP70, and ITS1 genes, and DNA sequencing was performed. The primers used for the amplification of kDNA, ITS1, and HSP70 genes presented non-specific results. Of the 66 mammals collected from 24 different municipalities, one Southern Tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla) presented DNA of Leishmania spp. in lymph nodes by 18S PCR. DNA sequencing confirmed the results of the subgenus, Viannia, identification. We suggest using the methodology showed in the present study in the active and early surveillance of visceral leishmaniasis in a non-endemic area.

Phylogenetic and biogeographical traits predict unrecognized hosts of zoonotic leishmaniasis

“…While our follow up analyses do not indicate model results are biased by uneven study effort, this finding may suggest that zoonotic Leishmania hosts are generally under sampled. Though leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease primarily impacting resource-poor communities, state-of-the-art zoonotic Leishmania diagnostic and surveillance techniques are available (e.g., (14,50,(57)(58)(59)(60)(61)).…”

“…While our follow up analyses do not indicate that model results are biased by uneven study effort, this finding may suggest that zoonotic Leishmania hosts are generally under sampled. Though leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease primarily impacting resource-poor communities, state-of-the-art zoonotic Leishmania diagnostic and surveillance techniques are available (16,55,(63)(64)(65)(66)(67). As such, under sampling Leishmania hosts primarily stems from both the lack of funding to employ these tools during large scale surveillance efforts and the large number of animal species that are potentially hosts.…”

Absence of Trichinella spp. larvae in carcasses of road-killed wild animals in Paraná state, Brazil

“…The study was approved by the Biodiversity Authorization and Information System (SISBio) of the Environmental Institute (number 75977-1 and 55384-1) and by the Ethics Committee in the Use of Animals of the State University of Londrina (number 30/2017 and 130/2020). Biological samples from 71 road-killed wild animals collected between November 2016 and November 2021 from the northern region of the state of Paraná, Brazil, were obtained as described by Caldart et al (2021). The collected animals were mapped using a Global Positioning System (GPS) and the point distributions were plotted using QGIS 2.14 software (Figure 1).…”

“…According Caldart et al (2021), the sampling of road-killed wild animals is essential for studies related to public health and conservation of native species. Research and monitoring of Trichinella spp.…”