The role of zoological centers as reservoirs of leish-maniosis in urban areas

Zusammenfassung

A questionnaire to evaluate the importance of Leishmaniosis in zoological centers was designed to gather information about suspected and confirmed clinical cases of the disease. The questionnaire was sent to members of the Iberian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (n=38). Although a limited response (26.32%) was obtained three suspected and three verified cases were reported suggesting Leishmaniosis is a disease of little relevance in zoos. A further study was carried out to analyze the presence and persistence of infected animals and vectors in Oasys zoological center in southeast Spain where a wolf with leishmaniosis was diagnosed eight years before. RealTime PCR from skin biopsies of eight carnivorous was performed and fifty percent (n=4) were positive (three swift foxes (Vulpes velox) and one tiger Panthera tigris). Furthermore, 70 sand flies were captured using castor-oil sticky interception traps and were identified using morphological and DNA barcoding methods as Phlebotumus perniciosus (76.90%), P. papatasi (12.30%), Sergentomyia minuta (7.60%) and P. ariasi (3%). Sand fly abundance was greatest in areas protected from direct sunlight. Our results suggest that animals in zoological centers could be reservoirs of Leishmania spp. However more studies are needed to assess the epidemiological implications of these presumed hosts