L. tropica in Golden Jackals and Red Foxes | CDC EID

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Volume 16, Number 12–December 2010
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Leishmania tropica Infection in Golden Jackals and Red Foxes, Israel

Dalit Talmi-Frank, Noa Kedem-Vaanunu, Roni King, Gila Kahila Bar-Gal, Nir Edery, Charles L. Jaffe, and Gad Baneth Comments to Author
Author affiliations: Hebrew University, Rehovot, Israel (D. Talmi-Frank, N. Kedem-Vaanunu, G. Kahila Bar-Gal, G. Baneth); Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem, Israel (R. King); Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet-Dagan, Israel (N. Edery); and Hebrew University–Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem (C.L. Jaffe)

Suggested citation for this article

Abstract
During a survey of wild canids, internal transcribed spacer 1 real-time PCR and high-resolution melt analysis identified Leishmania tropica in samples from jackals and foxes. Infection was most prevalent in ear and spleen samples. Jackals and foxes may play a role in the spread of zoonotic L. tropica.

Leishmania tropica is a major cause of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Old World. Although cutaneous leishmaniasis associated with L. tropica usually is considered an anthroponotic infection (1) in Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority, it appears to be a zoonosis with a main putative reservoir host, the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) (2,3). Nevertheless, the possible involvement of other animals in the sylvatic transmission of L. tropica infection is not yet fully understood. L. tropica has been sporadically reported from domestic dogs from human cutaneous leishmaniasis foci in Iran and Morocco (4,5) but not from wild canids. Previous studies of leishmaniasis in wild canids, such as red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in southern Italy (6) and wolves (Canis lupus) in southwestern Europe (7), found them to be infected with L. infantum. Golden jackals (Canis aureus) infected with L. infantum were reported in Iraq (8) and Kazakhstan (9). A seroepidemiologic study of Leishmania spp. infection in Israel showed that 7.6% of jackals and 5% of foxes tested were seropositive by using L. donovani antigen (10). The aim of this study was to identify and characterize Leishmania spp. infection in wild canids, including jackals, foxes, and wolves, in Israel by using species-specific real-time PCR.

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L. tropica in Golden Jackals and Red Foxes | CDC EID

Suggested Citation for this Article

Talmi-Frank D, Kedem-Vaanunu N, King R, Bar-Gal GK, Edery N, Jaffe CL, et al. Leishmania tropica infection in golden jackals and red foxes, Israel. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2010 Dec [date cited].
http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/16/12/1973.htm


DOI: 10.3201/eid1612.100953

Comments to the Authors

Please use the form below to submit correspondence to the authors or contact them at the following address:

Gad Baneth, School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University, PO Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel; email: baneth@agri.huji.ac.il