The Egyptian mongoose,Herpestes ichneumon, is a possible reservoir host of visceral leishmaniasis in eastern Sudan

Abstract

Investigations were made on possible reservoir hosts of Leishmania donovani in 2 zoonotic foci of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Dinder National Park (DNP) and the peri-domestic habitats of adjacent villages of eastern Sudan. Animals were captured, in November 1997-1998 and April-May 1999 and examined for L. donovani infection using light microscopy and 2 sensitive Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) systems. Microscopy and PCR investigations were also used to determine the infection rates of L. donovani in Phlebotomus orientalis captured from the uninhabited site of DNP. Infections of L. donovani were detected in 2 out of 14 Egyptian mongooses (Herpestes ichneumon), 1 out of 168 Arviconthus niloticus and 1 out of 8 Mastomys natalensis. Samples from 68 other animals captured from the study area were all negative for the infection. Active zoonotic transmission of L. donovani at the time of animal sampling in the uninhabited site of DNP was demonstrated by finding the parasite in 3n4 % (7 out of 184) and 3n2 % (5 out of 157) of flies collected in March 1998 and May 1999, respectively. We suggest that the Egyptian mongoose is a possible reservoir host of L. donovani. The importance of other animals in maintaining the infection is also discussed.

Visceral Leishmaniasis in Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State, Western Ethiopia: Reemerging or Emerging?

“…20 A high infection rate of P. orientalis with L. donovani has been reported from uninhabited areas of Dinder National Park. 20 Subsequent studies identified infected mongoose 21 and humans in neighboring villages. 20 Moreover, a recent study done in Dinder National Park encountered Phlebotomus rodhaini infected with L. donovani.…”

Visceral leishmaniasis in eastern Sudan: parasite identification in humans and dogs; host-parasite relationships

“…But in all these cases, there was no parasite identification. Elnaim et al [18] described 2/14 Egyptian mongooses (Herpestes ichneumon), 1/168 A. niloticus and 1/8 Mastomys natalensis positive by smear detection and PCR. The first mention of specifically identified L. donovani in dogs was made by Mutinga et al [19], who isolated two stocks from Kenyan dogs, one of them (MCAN/KE/00/D2) related to L. donovani MON-36 [20].…”

Studies on the ecology of sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Sudan: the first records ofPhlebotomus orientalisandP. rodhainiin northern Sudan

“…Sudanese VL is caused by various zymodemes of the Leishmania donovani complex (Ashford et al, 1992;Oskam et al, 1998). The main vector appears to be Phlebotomus orientalis (Ashford et al, 1992) but naturally infected P. rodhaini have been collected in the east of the country (Elnaiem et al, 2001). In a recent study based in the village of Surogia, in Khartoum state, both P. orientalis and P. rodhaini have been detected in northern Sudan for the first time.…”

“…Forty-two (3.1%) of the specimens were identified as P. orientalis and eight (0.6%) as P. rodhaini. Although P. orientalis is the main vector of the parasites causing VL in Sudan (Ashford et al, 1992;Elnaiem et al, 2001;Hassan et al, 2004), neither it nor P. rodhaini have previously been recorded in northern Sudan. It is possible that (1) the distribution of these two species in northern Sudan is restricted to certain habitats that have not previously been explored by entomologists; and/or (2) these two species have not previously been detected in northern Sudan because they only occur there in very low numbers.…”