Abstract
Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) were recently deemed responsible for an outbreak of human leishmaniasis affecting metropolitan Madrid, Spain. However, the reservoir potential of hares in Europe is poorly known. We report a retrospective survey on Leishmania infantum, the causal agent of zoonotic endemic leishmaniasis in the Mediterranean basin, infection status of Iberian, European (Le. europaeus) and Broom (Le. castroviejoi) hares in Spain. Spleen samples from 94 hares were tested by polymerase chain reaction. Sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assays were performed on positive samples and RFLP patterns compared with those of strains reported in the scientific literature. DNA prevalence in hare spleen samples was 43.6% (95% confidence interval: 33.6-53.6). In all six regions studied at least one positive sample was found. RFLP revealed existence of specific hare strains of L. infantum differing from those reported in wild carnivores in Spain. The widespread presence of L. infantum in the most abundant Spanish hare species and the recent evidence of the ability of naturally infected hares to transmit the pathogen to Phlebotomus perniciosus, its main vector in the western Mediterranean, suggest that hares may have an unexpected role in the epidemiology of L. infantum in Spain.
Highlights
Diseases at the wildlife-livestock-human interface are an increasing concern for public health, animal health and animal conservation authorities worldwide [1]
41 out of 94 Spanish hares (43.6%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 33.6 to 53.6) were positive for the presence of L. infantum DNA
This study shows that L. infantum is present in two of the three Spanish hare species and that specific ‘hare strains’ of L. infantum circulate in Spain
Summary
Diseases at the wildlife-livestock-human interface are an increasing concern for public health, animal health and animal conservation authorities worldwide [1]. Basic epidemiologic knowledge would constitute the foundation for targeted prevention and control measures of wildlife-associated diseases, but knowledge is scarce for many of the currently emerging threats; Leishmaniasis in Europe is a good example. Endemic Mediterranean leishmaniasis is a disease of animals and humans caused by Leishmania infantum, a protozoan causing both visceral and cutaneous zoonotic leishmaniasis in the Mediterranean basin. L. infantum has recently spread northward from Mediterranean to temperate climates in Europe (e.g. Hungary and northern Italy), apparently linked to climate change [3] but perhaps linked to increased movements of infected hosts, mostly dogs, from endemic Mediterranean areas [4]. Leishmaniasis caused by L. infantum can be considered as a potentially emerging threat for central and northern European countries [4]
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