Leishmaniasis in Brazil: IV. The fox, Cerdocyon thous (l) as a reservoir of Leishmania donovani in Para state, Brazil

Canine visceral leishmaniasis due to Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi in Amazonian Brazil: comparison of the parasite density from the skin, lymph node and visceral tissues between symptomatic and asymptomatic, seropositive dogs

“…Thus, none of the 14 parasitologically positive foxes found in Pará State displayed any outward signs of disease 17,18,31 . It is of particular interest that infection was transmitted experimentally to an uninfected fox by the bites of infected L. longipalpis, that this animal also showed no visible signs infection, and that it was possible to infect further L. longipalpis fed on it.…”

“…In Amazonian Brazil, American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) is an anthropozoonotic disease, strongly associated with an enzootic cycle of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi (= Leishmania chagasi Cunha and Chagas 1937) in the fox Cerdocyon thous 17,18,31 . Transmission of the parasite in these animals of northern Brazil is considered to be maintained by the phlebotomine sandfly vector Lutzomyia longipalpis 19,32 .…”

“…It is unlikely, however, to eliminate it entirely in those areas where the silvatic enzootic cycle of L. (L.) i. chagasi still exists 15,17,18 .…”

Lutzomyia longipalpis and the eco-epidemiology of American visceral leishmaniasis, with particular reference to Brazil: a review

“…The animal showed no signs of infection, but amastigotes were encountered in its bone marrow seven months later. In Amazonian Brazil, workers of the Instituto Evandro Chagas examined 23 C. thous from agricultural land close to both primary and secondary forest on the outskirts of Belém, Pará, and isolated L. i. chagasi from three of them (Lainson et al 1969.…”

Serologic evidence of Leishmania infection in free-ranging wild and domestic canids around a Brazilian National Park

“…The domestic dog is an important reservoir and is responsible for the endemic and epidemic nature of the disease (Silva et al 2001, Courtenay et al 2002. Other mammals are natural reservoirs, such as marsupials, rodents (Zulueta et al 1999), the crab-eating fox C. thous (Lainson et al 1969, Courtenay et al 1996, Silva et al 2000. Crab-eating foxes are commonly infected but rarely infectious or symptomatic, although there are reports of individuals with clinical signs of the disease, which showed spontaneous recovery after showing symptoms (Courtenay et al 2002).…”