First clinical cases of leishmaniosis in meerkats (Suricata suricatta) housed in wildlife parks in Madrid, Spain.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In recent years, cases of leishmaniosis have been described in animals housed in captivity in zoos in Spain [Bennett's wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus), orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus pygameus), and European otter (Lutra lutra)]. Some of these zoological parks are in endemic areas for both human and animal leishmaniosis, thus it should be very important to include this zoonosis in the differential diagnosis.

Methods

The study was carried out in two zoological parks in Madrid, Madrid Zoo and Faunia, and analyzed seven meerkats. Serological tests [rK-39 and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)] and molecular tests [nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time PCR] were performed to detect Leishmania DNA. Additionally, an entomological study was car

SUBMITTER: Moraleda-Berral P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11773741 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature