Occurrence of Leishmania infantum in Wild Mammals Admitted to Recovery Centers in Spain

Abstract

Zoonotic leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum is distributed worldwide and affects humans and domestic and wild mammals. In Europe, specifically in the Mediterranean basin, leishmaniasis is endemic due to the concurrence of the phlebotomine vectors and reservoir mammals, including carnivorous wildlife species and other less studied wild species. In this article, spleen, skin, and eye or oral swabs taken from 134 wild mammals admitted to five wildlife recovery centers in Spain were used. PCR employing fragments of the Repeat region, ITS1, and SSUrRNA were used for detection, and positive samples were processed for sequencing. L. infantum was detected in three out of the nine species analyzed, including European hedgehog, European badger, and red squirrel, with percentages ranging from 11.53 to 35.71%, depending on the species. Most of the species showed higher percentages of positivity in spleen samples than in skin samples. A small number of animals from the remaining six species tested negative, including Algerian hedgehog, stone marten, least weasel, garden dormouse, western polecat, and Egyptian mongoose. Hedgehogs and badgers are good candidates for consideration as epidemiological sentinels and pose a higher risk as potential reservoirs of leishmaniasis based on their percentage of infection and wide distribution.

Wildlife and parasitic infections: A One Health perspective in Greece

“…This study reported infection by potentially zoonotic parasites, including Capillaria spp., Acanthocephala, Brachylaima spp., H. erinacei and Trematoda ( Liatis et al, 2017 ). In other studies, hedgehogs were found infected with enteric zoonotic protozoa like Blastocystis sp., Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis ( Gomes-Gonçalves et al, 2024 ) and L. infantum ( Azami-Conesa et al, 2023 ). The encroachment of humans into hedgehog habitats has disrupted the delicate balance of the human-animal-environment interface, further emphasizing the importance of understanding and managing zoonotic risks associated with hedgehog populations.…”