Epidemiological survey on Leishmania infection in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and hunting dogs sharing the same rural area in Southern Italy

Diego Piantedosi; Vincenzo Veneziano; Trentina Di Muccio; Valentina Foglia Manzillo; Eleonora Fiorentino; Aldo Scalone; Benedetto Neola; Francesca Di Prisco; Nicola D’Alessio; Luigi Gradoni; Gaetano Oliva; Marina Gramiccia

doi:10.1515/ap-2016-0106

Article

Epidemiological survey on Leishmania infection in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and hunting dogs sharing the same rural area in Southern Italy

Diego Piantedosi , Vincenzo Veneziano , Trentina Di Muccio , Valentina Foglia Manzillo , Eleonora Fiorentino , Aldo Scalone , Benedetto Neola , Francesca Di Prisco , Nicola D’Alessio , Luigi Gradoni , Gaetano Oliva and Marina Gramiccia

Published/Copyright: October 24, 2016

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From the journal Acta Parasitologica Volume 61 Issue 4

Abstract

Southern Italy, particularly Campania region, is an area where canine leishmaniasis (CanL) and zoonotic human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are endemic. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has been hypothesized to play a role in occurrence of CanL in Italy but specific studies are poor. The aim of the present survey was to investigate the prevalence of Leishmania infection in dogs and foxes living in the same rural area (Picentini hills). 123 sera from autochthonous fox-hunting dogs were examined by immunofluorescent-antibody test (IFAT) using a cut-off of 1:160. The seroprevalence of dogs examined was 17.9%. Moreover, 48 foxes were examined after having been shooted by hunters or road accidents. Spleen, liver and lymph node samples were analyzed by specific Leishmania nested PCR (n-PCR). 10 foxes were found infected by L. infantum (20.8%) of which 4 animals in spleen, 2 in lymph nodes and 4 both in spleen and lymph nodes. The overall n-PCR positivity was 17.4% for spleen samples and 13.3% for lymph nodes; all liver samples resulted negative. In positive PCR foxes no signs clearly referable to leishmaniasis were recorded at necropsy. The results confirmed the presence of L. infantum infection in red foxes from Southern Italy, with a moderate level of exposure. Because large proportions of dogs with ascertained progressive leishmaniasis show a prolonged "subpatent condition" during which they are only positive to n-PCR before seroconversion, our results allow to assume that exposure risk in foxes is lower than hunting dogs living in the studied area.

Keywords: Leishmaniasis; Italy; fox; hunting dog

Acknowledgements

This study was partially funded by Ministry of Health of the Italian Republic grant (IZS ME 09/12 RC and IZS ME 01/14 RC) and by EU grant FP7-261504 EDENext and is catalogued by the EDENext Steering Committee as EDENext462 (http://www.edenext.eu). The contents of this publication are responsibility of the sole authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.The study was supported by the Management Committee of the Hunting District of Salerno (ATC SA 1). The Authors thank Dr. Gennaro Barra and Mr. Carlo Cascino for their technical assistance and logistical support. Finally, the authors thank Mr. Giuseppe Marzatico for the processing of geographic map.

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Received: 2016-1-5

Revised: 2016-6-23

Accepted: 2016-6-29

Published Online: 2016-10-24

Published in Print: 2016-12-1

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https://doi.org/10.1515/ap-2016-0106

Keywords for this article

Leishmaniasis; Italy; fox; hunting dog