Survey of Wild Mammal Hosts of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Parasites in Panamá and Costa Rica
10.2149/tmh.2014-30
- Author:
Kadir González
;
José E. Calzada
;
Azael Saldaña
;
Chystrie A. Rigg
;
Gilbert Alvarado
;
Bernal Rodríguez-Herrera
;
Uriel D. Kitron
;
Gregory H. Adler
;
Nicole L. Gottdenker
;
Luis Fernando Chaves
;
Mario Baldi
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
zoonotic disease;
reservoir;
Leishmania spp.
- From:Tropical Medicine and Health
2014;():-
- CountryJapan
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
The eco-epidemiology of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL) is drivenby animal reservoir species that are a source of infection for sand flies thatserve as vectors infecting humans with Leishmania spp parasites. The emergence and re-emergence of this disease across LatinAmerica calls for further studies to identify reservoir species associated withenzootic transmission. Here, we present results from a survey of 52 individualsfrom 13 wild mammal species at endemic sites in Costa Rica and Panama where ACLMammal hosts have not been previously studied. For Leishmania spp. diagnostics we employed a novel PCR technique usingblood samples collected on filter paper. We only found Leishmania spp parasites in one host, the two toed sloth, Choloepus hoffmanni. Our findings addfurther support to the major role of two toed sloths as an ACL reservoir inCentral America.
