First Report of Two Jaculus Rodents as Potential Reservoir Hosts of Leishmania Parasites in Tunisia

Abstract

This study shows, for the first time, natural Leishmania infection among Jaculus spp. in an endemic region of Tataouine, South Tunisia. To better characterize the transmission cycles in this complex focus of mixed transmission, Leishmania detection and species identification were performed by direct examination, internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS1)-PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), and sequencing of Jaculus (J.) jaculus (Linnaeus, 1758) and J. hirtipes (Lichtenstein, 1823) rodent species, which are frequently encountered in this area. Leishmania parasites were observed in 19 (41.3%) smears, while DNA parasites were detected in 28 (60.9%) Jaculus spp. spleens; among them, 12 (54.5%) were from 22 J. jaculus individuals and 16 (66.7%) were from 24 J. hirtipes individuals. Leishmania parasites were confirmed as Leishmania (L.) killicki (syn. L. tropica) in two J. hirtipes individuals (4.3%) and L. major (n = 24; 52.2%) in 10 J. jaculus and 14 J. hirtipes individuals. This finding represents the first evidence of natural infection with Leishmania parasites in rodents belonging to the Jaculus genus, providing the rationale to consider them as potential reservoir hosts of Old World Leishmania parasites in Tunisia and North Africa.

Advances in Leishmania Research: From Basic Parasite Biology to Disease Control

“…Two manuscripts have provided new insights into Leishmania ecology of with updated evidence of infection in rodents [ 7 ] and Iberian lynxes [ 8 ].…”

“…Ghawar et al reported natural Leishmania infections in 46 rodents of the genus Jaculus from Tataouine governorate, where leishmaniasis is endemic, in southern Tunisia [ 7 ]. Parasites were observed in 19 (41.3%) smears, while parasitic DNA was detected in 28 (60.9%) spleen samples.…”