title: Cryptic Leishmaniosis by Leishmania infantum, a feature of canines only? A study of natural infection in wild rabbits, humans and dogs in southeastern Spain.
abstract: An epidemiological study was carried out to investigate asymptomatic Leishmania infantum infection by PCR and ELISA in wild rabbits, humans and domestic dogs in southeastern Spain. Seroprevalence was 0% (0/36) in rabbits, 2% (13/657) in humans and 7% (14/208) in dogs. The prevalence of PCR-positives was 0.6% (1/162) in rabbits tested in a wide range of tissue samples, 2% (8/392) in humans analysed in blood samples and 10% (20/193) and 67% (29/43) in dogs analysed in blood and lymphoid tissue samples, respectively. Results suggest that wild rabbits have a very low risk of becoming chronically infected with L. infantum, and provide further evidence that cryptic L. infantum infection is widespread in the domestic dog population and is also present in a comparatively smaller proportion of healthy humans. The epidemiological and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
authors: Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Chitimia
authors: C I
authors: CI
authors: Muñoz-García
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Sánchez-Velasco
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Lizana
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Del Río
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Murcia
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Fisa
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Riera
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Giménez-Font
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Jiménez-Montalbán
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Martínez-Ramírez
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Meseguer-Meseguer
authors: I
authors: I
authors: García-Bacete
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Sánchez-Isarria
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Sanchis-Monsonís
authors: J D
authors: JD
authors: García-Martínez
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Vicente
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Segovia
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Berriatua