title: Current status of L. infantum infection in stray cats in the Madrid region (Spain): implications for the recent outbreak of human leishmaniosis?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since 2009, the incidence of human leishmaniosis in the SW of the Madrid region has been unusually high. Although dogs are the main reservoir for this disease, a role played by dogs in this outbreak has been ruled out and investigators are now considering other hosts (eg. cats, rabbits, hares) as possible alternative reservoirs.This study was designed to examine the Leishmania infantum status of stray cats in Madrid to assess its possible implications in the human leishmaniosis outbreak.
  
  
  METHODS
  346 captured stray cats were tested for antibodies against L. infantum by the indirect fluorescent antibody technique (IFAT) and nested-PCR methods were used to detect Leishmania DNA in blood samples of cats testing seropositive for L. infantum and/or retroviruses infection. Cats were also tested for Toxoplasma gondii using the direct agglutination test (DAT) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) antigen and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) antibodies (PetChek* FIV/FeLV). The presence of intestinal parasites was determined using a routine coprological method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The seroprevalence of L. infantum infection (cut off ≥ 1/100) was 3.2% (11/346). However, it was not possible to amplify Leishmania DNA in any of the blood samples. Seropositivity was not associated with sex, age, capture site, clinical status, retrovirus infection or T. gondii seropositivity. Of the 11 cats seropositive for L. infantum, 3 also tested positive for FIV, none for FeLV and 6 for T. gondii. It should be mentioned that the prevalence of FeLV p27 antigen was 4% and of FIV antibody was 9.2%. Although the seroprevalence of T. gondii was quite high at 53.5%, no T. gondii oocysts were found in any of the faeces samples analysed (n = 287). In contrast, intestinal parasites were detected in 76 (26.5%) samples, Toxocara cati being the most prevalent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest a stable L. infantum infection situation among the stray cats of the Madrid area; the disease is uncommon and no clinical cases have been reported to date. The detection of other zoonotic parasites such as T. gondii and T. cati in stray cats indicates a need to adopt strict control measures in this population.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. gmiro@ucm.es.
authors.forename: Guadalupe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Miró
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rupérez
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Checa
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gálvez
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Canorea
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montoya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D002415:Cats; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018314:Leishmania infantum; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D013030:Spain