title: An investigation of Leishmania spp. in Didelphis spp. from urban and peri-urban areas in Bauru (São Paulo, Brazil).
abstract: Blood and bone marrow samples were taken from 112 Didelphis spp., collected between March 2005 and February 2006, from urban and peri-urban areas of Bauru, São Paulo State, Brazil, to evaluate the hypothesis that these animals might constitute a reservoir of Leishmania spp. Anti-Leishmania ssp. antibodies were screened in the serum samples using an enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR was performed on fragments of DNA samples from Leishmania spp. using primers 13A and 13B, and showed a positive outcome in 91.6% of the 112 samples tested. Of the 107 samples analyzed by ELISA, 71% were positive. Evidence of epidemiological risk factors such as a circulating parasite and freely moving vectors suggests that Didelphis spp. may participate in the transmission cycle of Leishmania spp. in Bauru.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica, Cirurgia e Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Odontologia, Curso de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araçatub, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Emília Bodini
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Santiago
authors.forename: Rosemeri O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos
authors.forename: Karina Reinaldo
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Fattori
authors.forename: Danísio Prado
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Munari
authors.forename: Aparecida de Fátima
authors.initials: Ade F
authors.lastname: Michelin
authors.forename: Valéria Marçal Felix
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Lima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000469:parasitology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D048293:Didelphis / Q000469:parasitology*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D007891:Leishmania / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan