High rates of Leishmania infantum and Trypanosoma nabiasi infection in wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in sympatric and syntrophic conditions in an endemic canine leishmaniasis area: Epidemiological consequences

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

“…Furthermore, positive animals based on molecular diagnostics, but negative based on serology, may have been caught in an initial phase of infection before the production of detectable IgG, required for serological tests. Alternatively, it is crucial to take into account that the presence of other trypanosomatids was previously shown to lead to cross-reactions (DÍAZ-SÁEZ et al, 2014).…”

Epidemiological evaluation of Leishmania infantum zoonotic transmission risk in the recently established endemic area of Northwestern Italy

“…Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) is a vector‐borne parasitic disease which is caused in the Mediterranean basin, by Leishmania infantum . L. infantum is transmitted in the Old World by sand flies of the genus Phlebotomus (Bates et al, ) and, in the urban environment, has the dog as main reservoir of infection (Quinnell & Courtenay, ) together with various species of sylvatic hosts (Díaz‐Sáez et al, ; Jiménez, González, Martín‐Martín, Hernández, & Molina, ; Millán et al, ; Molina et al, ; Zanet et al, ). The geographical range of occurrence for L. infantum infection in dogs has changed in the recent past, as the endemic area of ZVL has broaden to include Northern Italy (Dereure et al, ; Maroli et al, ) and Northern European countries (i.e., Germany (Naucke, Menn, Massberg, & Lorentz, ), United Kingdom (Shaw, Langton, & Hillman, ), Hungary (Farkas et al, ; Tánczos et al, ) and France (Chamaillé et al, )).…”

Leishmania infection in rodents in Greece

“…Among wild animals, the red fox has been studied more than others and was found infected in various countries, with prevalence ranging from 0% to 74.6%, depending on the area and the method applied (PCR or serology) . Other carnivores that have been found infected are grey wolves, jackals, European wild cats, polecats, pine martens, stone martens, common genets, Iberian lynxes, Egyptian mongooses, European badgers, weasels and European minks . Moreover, lagomorphs seem to play a crucial role in the maintenance of the parasite in nature, as wild rabbits and hares have been suggested as important reservoirs in Spain .…”

“…Other carnivores that have been found infected are grey wolves, jackals, European wild cats, polecats, pine martens, stone martens, common genets, Iberian lynxes, Egyptian mongooses, European badgers, weasels and European minks . Moreover, lagomorphs seem to play a crucial role in the maintenance of the parasite in nature, as wild rabbits and hares have been suggested as important reservoirs in Spain .…”