title: Can domestic cats be considered reservoir hosts of zoonotic leishmaniasis?
abstract: Canine and human zoonotic leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum, which is transmitted by the bite of infected phlebotomine sand flies, is a serious public health problem in the Mediterranean basin and Latin America. Among reports on newly identified mammalian hosts recurrently found infected with L. infantum, those regarding domestic cats deserve attention for the potential implications to public health. It has been shown that these animals cohabiting with humans can be infected (although only a few cases develop disease) and harbor parasites in an available way for transmission to competent vectors. Nonetheless, their role as reservoir hosts is still controversial.
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Parasitologia Médica, Centro de Malária e Doenças Tropicais, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira, Portugal. carlamaia@ihmt.unl.pt
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.forename: Lenea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Campino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood / Q000469:parasitology; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D002415:Cats; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000469:parasitology*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D004285:Dogs; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000662:veterinary; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000662:veterinary; D057805:Pets / Q000469:parasitology*; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000469:parasitology