title: Expanding the knowledge about Leishmania species in wild mammals and dogs in the Brazilian savannah.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Wild, synanthropic and domestic mammals act as hosts and/or reservoirs of several Leishmania spp. Studies on possible reservoirs of Leishmania in different areas are fundamental to understand host-parasite interactions and develop strategies for the surveillance and control of leishmaniasis. In the present study, we evaluated the Leishmania spp. occurrence in mammals in two conservation units and their surroundings in Brasília, Federal District (FD), Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Small mammals were captured in Brasília National Park (BNP) and Contagem Biological Reserve (CBR) and dogs were sampled in residential areas in their vicinity. Skin and blood samples were evaluated by PCR using different molecular markers (D7 24Sα rRNA and rDNA ITS1). Leishmania species were identified by sequencing of PCR products. Dog blood samples were subjected to the rapid immunochromatographic test (DPP) for detection of anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  179 wild mammals were studied and 20.1% had Leishmania DNA successfully detected in at least one sample. Six mammal species were considered infected: Clyomys laticeps, Necromys lasiurus, Nectomys rattus, Rhipidomys macrurus, Didelphis albiventris and Gracilinanus agilis. No significant difference, comparing the proportion of individuals with Leishmania spp., was observed between the sampled areas and wild mammal species. Most of the positive samples were collected from the rodent N. lasiurus, infected by L. amazonensis or L. braziliensis. Moreover, infections by Trypanosoma spp. were detected in N. lasiurus and G. agilis. All 19 dog samples were positive by DPP; however, only three (15.8%) were confirmed by PCR assays. DNA sequences of ITS1 dog amplicons showed 100% identity with L. infantum sequence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest the participation of six species of wild mammals in the enzootic transmission of Leishmania spp. in FD. This is the first report of L. amazonensis in N. lasiurus.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, 70904970, Distrito Federal, Brasília, Brazil. martinz.rebecca@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rebecca Martins
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa em Doença de Chagas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, 70904970, Distrito Federal, Brasília, Brazil. nnitz@unb.br.
authors.forename: Nadjar Nitz Silva Lociks
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: de Araújo
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, 70904970, Distrito Federal, Brasília, Brazil. romgustavo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gustavo Adolfo Sierra
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia Médica e Biologia de Vetores, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, 70904970, Distrito Federal, Brasília, Brazil. thaistam@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Thaís Tâmara Castro Minuzzi
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia Médica e Biologia de Vetores, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, 70904970, Distrito Federal, Brasília, Brazil. anabdietrich@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ana Gabriela
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, 70904970, Distrito Federal, Brasília, Brazil. juniodmendes@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Júnio Donizette
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.affiliation: Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, 70670350, Distrito Federal, Brasília, Brazil. mukirabsb@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Marcelo Lima
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia Médica e Biologia de Vetores, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, 70904970, Distrito Federal, Brasília, Brazil. jonatasbcf@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jônatas Barbosa Cavalcante
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa em Doença de Chagas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, 70904970, Distrito Federal, Brasília, Brazil. marianahecht@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mariana Machado
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hecht
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia Médica e Biologia de Vetores, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, 70904970, Distrito Federal, Brasília, Brazil. gurgelrg@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gurgel-Gonçalves
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D007891:Leishmania / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009893:Opossums; D045988:Procyonidae; D012377:Rodentia