UNSPECIFIED. (2002) Low infectiousness of a wildlife host of Leishmania infantum: the crab-eating fox is not important for transmission. PARASITOLOGY, 125 (Part 5). pp. 407-414. ISSN 0031-1820

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Abstract

The epidemiological role of the crab-eating fox Cerdocyon thous in the transmission of Leishmania infantum is assessed in a longitudinal study in Amazon Brazil. A total of 37 wild-caught foxes were immunologically, and clinically monitored, and 26 foxes exposed to laboratory colonies of the sandfly vector Lutzommyia longipalpis, over a 15-month period. In total 78% (29/37) of foxes were seropositive for anti-Leishmania 1gG oil at least 1 occasion, and 38% (8/37) had infections confirmed by PCR and/or by culture. Point prevalences were 74% (serology), 15% (PCR), and 26% (culture). No Signs of progressive disease were observed. None of the foxes were infectious to the 1469 sandflies dissected from 44 feeds. A conservative estimate of the possible contribution of foxes to transmission was 9% compared to 91% by sympatric domestic dogs. These results show that crab-eating fox populations do not maintain a transmission cycle independently of domestic dogs. The implication is that they are unlikely to introduce the parasite into Leishmania-free dog populations.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QL Zoology
Journal or Publication Title:	PARASITOLOGY
Publisher:	CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
ISSN:	0031-1820
Date:	November 2002
Volume:	125
Number:	Part 5
Number of Pages:	8
Page Range:	pp. 407-414
Identification Number:	10.1017/S0031182002002238
Publication Status:	Published
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/10343

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