<i>Leishmania</i> infection in rodents in Greece

Tsakmakidis, Ιoannis; Angelopoulou, Katerina; Dovas, Chrysostomos Ι.; Dokianakis, Εmmanouil; Tamvakis, Αndroniki; Symeonidou, Isaia; Αντωνίου, Μαρία; Diakou, Αnastasia

doi:10.1111/tmi.12982

Cited by 27 publications

(16 citation statements)

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“…In addition, it reports the seroprevalence of L. infantum in hares in central and northern Greece for the first time. The occurrence of L. infantum infection in hares, cats, dogs, rodents, red foxes, and humans (Diakou et al 2009;Athanasiou et al 2012;Ntais et al 2013;Karayiannis et al 2015;Giannakopoulos et al 2016Giannakopoulos et al , 2017Tsakmakidis et al 2017) is highly suggestive of an overlapping of the sylvatic and the domestic transmission cycles in Thessaly, as has been suggested previously for the region of Thessaloniki, northern Greece (Tsokana et al 2015). This hypothesis is further supported by the exposure of hares to N. caninum and T. gondii, indicating that hares share the same living space with the definitive hosts of these pathogens, namely, wild carnivores such as gray wolves and dogs, and cats or free-ranging felids respectively.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 64%

Serological and molecular investigation of selected parasitic pathogens in European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) in Greece: inferring the ecological niche of Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania infantum in hares

et al. 2019

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The occurrence of infection or exposure to Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, and Leishmania infantum was investigated in European brown hares (Lepus europaeus, EBH) hunter-harvested over two consecutive hunting seasons in northern and central Greece. Geographical information system was used along with the ecological niche model to define the geographical distribution of seropositive hares relative to environmental parameters and to identify high-risk areas for hare exposure. Molecular analysis showed that 3.8% and 9.6% of the examined hares were infected with N. caninum and L. infantum, respectively, while, 5.7%, 0.95%, and 12.4% of the hares tested positive for the presence of antibodies against T. gondii, N. caninum, and L. infantum respectively. None of the examined hares was polymerase chain reaction-positive for T. gondii. Mixed exposure against both T. gondii and L. infantum was found in 2.9% of the hares examined. Rainfall indices and land uses significantly influenced the exposure of hares to T. gondii and L. infantum. This is the first molecular and serological survey of protozoan pathogens in EBH in Greece. Furthermore, we report the environmental parameters related to hare seropositivity and present a risk map for hare exposure to T. gondii and L. infantum in northern and central Greece. The ecological niches of T. gondii and L. infantum in the hares presented herein could be applied to other regions with similar environmental and climatic conditions.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 64%

Serological and molecular investigation of selected parasitic pathogens in European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) in Greece: inferring the ecological niche of Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania infantum in hares

et al. 2019

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“…They are incriminated for deaths more than any other causes. Threat to human health is well recognized when potentially life-threatening diseases that currently have no specific treatment, cure, or vaccine [15], for example, Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, leptospirosis, cutaneous leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis, rat-bite fever, plague, salmonellosis, tularemia, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, plague, and Colorado tick fever are harbored by rats [6,16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bacterial isolation from internal organs of rats (Rattus rattus) captured in Baghdad city of Iraq

et al. 2019

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Aim: Rats are accused in disseminating many zoonotic diseases. This study aimed to isolate and identify bacteria from internal organs of rats captured in Baghdad City, Iraq. Materials and Methods: A total of 120 black rats (R. rattus) were trapped from different areas in Baghdad city. Rats were kept in individual plastic cages for 3 h before euthanizing. Deep pharyngeal swab, intestinal content, urine, and pieces of the liver and spleen, lung, kidney, and brain were obtained aseptically. The specimens were inoculated into peptone water and incubated at 37°C for 24 h for enrichment. A loopful of each specimen was then subcultured onto MacConkey Agar, Blood Agar, and Mannitol Salt Agar. CHROMagar O157 H7 and CHROMagar Listeria were used to detect Escherichia coli 157:7 and Listeria spp., respectively. Biochemical tests on analytical profile index, microscopic examination, and commercial kit for latex agglutination test for serotyping E. coli O157:H7 were used. Results: Mixed bacterial isolates were recorded as 116, 52, 36, 28, 18, 6, and 4 from intestinal contents, deep pharyngeal, liver and spleen, urine, lung, brain, and kidney, respectively. Microorganisms included E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus spp., Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Citrobacter freundii, Proteus vulgaris, E. coli O157:H7, Enterobacter cloacae, Listeria spp., Klebsiella spp., Ochrobactrum anthropi, Aeromonas spp., Brucella spp., Pseudomonas fluorescens, Escherichia fergusonii, Micrococcus spp., Morganella spp., Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas luteola, and Streptobacillus spp. The highest bacterial prevalence (88; 73.33%) was recorded for E. coli, where 68 isolates were identified from the intestinal contents. Of these, four isolates were E. coli O157:H7. Conclusion: Rats are important carriers and transmitters of a number of pathogens and can disseminate these microorganisms to humans and animals.

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“…In a reservoir population, the prevalence of Leishmania infantum should be >20%, which has been found for the following rodent species: Cricetulus migratorius (44), Mesocricetus auratus (43,44), Mus musculus (31,36,47,59), Mus spretus (13), Psammomys obesus (27), Psammomys vexillaris (27), and Sciurus vulgaris (13). The house mouse (M. musculus), which is native to southwestern Asia (65), is an invasive rodent with a dramatic impact on biodiversity, and human health and activities (66).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leishmaniosis in Rodents Caused by Leishmania infantum: A Review of Studies in the Mediterranean Area

2021

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Leishmaniosis infection begins when a phlebotomine sand fly vector inoculates pathogenic protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania into a mammalian host. In the case of Leishmania infantum, the domestic dog is considered to be the main parasite reservoir, and canine leishmaniosis (CanL) has a high mortality rate in untreated dogs. Hundreds of cases of human leishmaniosis (HL) are reported in the world each year, the incidence in Europe being relatively low. Leishmaniosis control is primarily focused on the dog, combining methods that prevent sand fly bites and boost host resistance to infection. However, these measures are only partially effective and new solutions need to be found. One of the main factors limiting CanL and HL control is the existence of a sylvatic Leishmania transmission cycle that interacts with the domestic cycle maintained by dogs. It is suspected that the main reservoir of infection in wildlife are rodents, whose expansion and rapid population growth worldwide is increasing the risk of human and zoonotic pathogen transfer. The aim of this review is therefore to analyze reports in the literature that may shed light on the potential role of rodents in the leishmaniosis transmission cycle in the Mediterranean area. Following the general methodology recommended for reviews, six databases (Google Scholar, Ovid, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science) were explored for the period January 1995 to December 2020. The results extracted from 39 publications that met the established inclusion criteria were analyzed. It was found that 23 species of rodents have been studied in nine countries of the Mediterranean basin. Of the 3,643 specimens studied, 302 tested positive for L. infantum infection by serology, microscopy and/or molecular techniques.

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Leishmania infection in rodents in Greece

Abstract: Due to the proximity of rodents to humans and dogs, these animals may be important in the epidemiology of leishmaniosis, especially if proven that they can infect sand flies.

Cited by 27 publications

References 64 publications

Serological and molecular investigation of selected parasitic pathogens in European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) in Greece: inferring the ecological niche of Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania infantum in hares

Serological and molecular investigation of selected parasitic pathogens in European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) in Greece: inferring the ecological niche of Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania infantum in hares

Bacterial isolation from internal organs of rats (Rattus rattus) captured in Baghdad city of Iraq

Leishmaniosis in Rodents Caused by Leishmania infantum: A Review of Studies in the Mediterranean Area

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