title: Detection of anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies in sylvatic lagomorphs from an epidemic area of Madrid using the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test.
abstract: An outbreak of human leishmaniasis was confirmed in the southwest of the province of Madrid, Spain, between July 2009 and December 2012. Incidence of Leishmania infection in dogs was unchanged in this period, prompting a search for alternative sylvatic infection reservoirs. We evaluated exposure to Leishmania in serum samples from animals in the area with an indirect immunofluorescence test (IFAT). Using promastigotes from six culture passages and a 1/25 threshold titer, we found anti-Leishmania infantum seroreactivity in 9.3% of cats (4 of 43), 45.7% of rabbits (16/35) and 74.1% of hares (63/85). Use of promastigotes from >10 in vitro passages resulted in a notably IFAT lower titer, suggesting antigenic changes during extended culture. Postmortem inspection of seropositive animals showed no clinical signs of infection. The results clearly suggest that asymptomatic hares were the main reservoir in the outbreak, and corroborate IFAT as a sensitive serological surveillance method to detect such cryptic Leishmania infections.
authors.affiliation: Área de Inmunología, Unidad de Inmunología Microbiana e Inmunogenética, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Mahadahonda, 28220 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Álvarez
authors.affiliation: Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET), Universidad Complutense Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Nerea
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: García
authors.affiliation: Dirección General de Ordenación e Inspección, Consejería de Sanidad de la Comunidad de Madrid, 28001 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de la Fuente
authors.affiliation: Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET), Universidad Complutense Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: Dirección General de Ordenación e Inspección, Consejería de Sanidad de la Comunidad de Madrid, 28001 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Eloy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.affiliation: Área de Inmunología, Unidad de Inmunología Microbiana e Inmunogenética, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Mahadahonda, 28220 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: atorano@isciii.es.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toraño
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Joaquin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goyache
authors.affiliation: Dirección General de Ordenación e Inspección, Consejería de Sanidad de la Comunidad de Madrid, 28001 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vilas
authors.affiliation: Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET), Universidad Complutense Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.affiliation: Área de Inmunología, Unidad de Inmunología Microbiana e Inmunogenética, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Mahadahonda, 28220 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Domínguez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D002415:Cats / Q000469:parasitology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary*; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D034621:Hares / Q000469:parasitology; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000276:immunology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011817:Rabbits / Q000469:parasitology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan
keywords: Anti-Leishmania antibodies; Hare; Immunofluorescence; Incidental reservoirs; Leishmaniosis; Promastigote epitope expression