title: Domestic animals and epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis, Nepal.
abstract: On the Indian subcontinent, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is considered an anthroponosis. To determine possible reasons for its persistence during interepidemic periods, we mapped Leishmania infections among healthy persons and animals in an area of active VL transmission in Nepal. During 4 months (September 2007-February 2008), blood was collected from persons, goats, cows, and buffaloes in 1 village. Leishmania infections were determined by using PCR. We found infections among persons (6.1%), cows (5%), buffaloes (4%), and goats (16%). Data were georeferenced and entered into a geographic information system. The bivariate K-function results indicated spatial clustering of Leishmania spp.-positive persons and domestic animals. Classification tree analysis determined that among several possible risk factors for Leishmania infection among persons, proximity of Leishmania spp.-positive goats ranked first. Although our data do not necessarily mean that goats constitute a reservoir host of L. donovani, these observations indicate the need for further investigation of goats' possible role in VL transmission.
authors.affiliation: BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal.
authors.forename: Narayan Raj
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Bhattarai
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Van der Auwera
authors.forename: Suman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rijal
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Picado
authors.forename: Niko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Speybroeck
authors.forename: Basudha
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khanal
authors.forename: Simonne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Doncker
authors.forename: Murari Lal
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ostyn
authors.forename: Clive
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coosemans
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berkvens
authors.forename: Marleen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boelaert
authors.forename: Jean Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Dujardin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002020:Buffaloes; D002417:Cattle; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000469:parasitology*; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence