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Detection of Leishmania Infantum in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Central Greece

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 September 2015

STELIOS KARAYIANNIS ,
PANTELIS NTAIS ,
IPPOKRATIS MESSARITAKIS ,
NIKOLAOS TSIRIGOTAKIS ,
EMMANOUIL DOKIANAKIS  and
MARIA ANTONIOU
STELIOS KARAYIANNIS
Affiliation:
Stelios Karagiannis, Ktiniatriki Epe, Vasilikon 25, Lamia, Greece
PANTELIS NTAIS
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology, Zoonoses and Geographical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece
IPPOKRATIS MESSARITAKIS
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology, Zoonoses and Geographical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece
NIKOLAOS TSIRIGOTAKIS
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology, Zoonoses and Geographical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece
EMMANOUIL DOKIANAKIS
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology, Zoonoses and Geographical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece
MARIA ANTONIOU*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology, Zoonoses and Geographical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece
*
*Corresponding author. University of Crete, Medical School, Voutes 710 03, Heraklion, Crete, Greece. E-mail: antoniou@med.uoc.gr
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Summary

This is the first record of Leishmania detection in foxes in Greece. Spleen, lymph nodes, bone marrow and blood samples were collected from 47 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) found dead or captured, narcotized and freed after bleeding, from November 2009 to 2011, in Fthiotida prefecture, central Greece. This is an endemic for canine leishmaniasis area with several human visceral leishmaniasis cases. The samples were tested for Leishmania infantum and Leishmania tropica by molecular methods (polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism) and serology (indirect immunofluorescent antibody test; when blood samples were available). Leishmania infantum DNA was detected in 28 animals (59·5%). PCR positivity was related to animal age, sex, weight, characteristics of the area trapped, presence of leishmaniasis symptoms and presence of endo- and ecto-parasites. The results were related to dog seropositivity obtained earlier in the area. The findings support the hypothesis that this wild canid may serve as a reservoir for Leishmania in areas where the sandfly vectors are found. In the prefectures of Larisa and Magnisia, adjacent to Fthiotida, Phlebotomus perfiliewi and Phlebotomus tobbi (known vectors of L. infantum) have been reported.

Keywords

Leishmania infantumred foxVulpes vulpesPCRGreece
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 142 , Issue 13 , November 2015 , pp. 1574 - 1578
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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