Abstract
We report the first molecular detection of Leishmania infection (subgenus Viannia) in the yellow-faced parrot (Alipiopsitta xanthops), at a wildlife rehabilitation center located in the city of Campo Grande, Brazil, an endemic area for leishmaniasis. PCRs targeting kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) and the small subunit of ribosomal RNA of Leishmania spp. were performed, both positive, followed by the sequencing of the amplified region of the SSU rDNA gene, which confirmed the identity of the parasite. This is the first report of success obtained in the use of PCR targeting the IRBP (Interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein) gene as an internal control in the molecular diagnosis of pathogens in bird species.
Highlights
Leishmaniasis is a serious public health problem, especially in Brazil, considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an endemic country for different species of these parasites (WHO 2017), which occur throughout most of the national territory (Basano and Camargo 2004)
We report the first molecular detection of Leishmania infection in the yellow-faced parrot (Alipiopsitta xanthops), at a wildlife rehabilitation center located in the city of Campo Grande, Brazil, an endemic area for leishmaniasis
More than 60 species of mammals from seven orders have been diagnosed with Leishmania spp infection, with rodents being the most widely studied in relation to their role as hosts and reservoirs of these parasites (Roque and Jansen 2014)
Summary
Leishmaniasis is a serious public health problem, especially in Brazil, considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an endemic country for different species of these parasites (WHO 2017), which occur throughout most of the national territory (Basano and Camargo 2004). More than 60 species of mammals from seven orders have been diagnosed with Leishmania spp infection, with rodents being the most widely studied in relation to their role as hosts and reservoirs of these parasites (Roque and Jansen 2014). Under experimental inoculation of the parasite, it was not possible to confirm the role of this bird as host of L. infantum, because among the three diagnostic tests performed, only molecular detection showed positive results (Otranto et al 2010). Two birds of the species Anser anser and one bird of the species Phasianus colchicus showed anti-L-infantum antibodies (without experimental inoculation), being identified as possible hosts of this pathogen in nature (Otranto et al 2010)
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