Heterogeneities in Leishmania infantum infection: using skin parasite burdens to identify highly infectious dogs.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis
; 8(1): e2583, 2014.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24416460
BACKGROUND: The relationships between heterogeneities in host infection and infectiousness (transmission to arthropod vectors) can provide important insights for disease management. Here, we quantify heterogeneities in Leishmania infantum parasite numbers in reservoir and non-reservoir host populations, and relate this to their infectiousness during natural infection. Tissue parasite number was evaluated as a potential surrogate marker of host transmission potential. METHODS: Parasite numbers were measured by qPCR in bone marrow and ear skin biopsies of 82 dogs and 34 crab-eating foxes collected during a longitudinal study in Amazon Brazil, for which previous data was available on infectiousness (by xenodiagnosis) and severity of infection. RESULTS: Parasite numbers were highly aggregated both between samples and between individuals. In dogs, total parasite abundance and relative numbers in ear skin compared to bone marrow increased with the duration and severity of infection. Infectiousness to the sandfly vector was associated with high parasite numbers; parasite number in skin was the best predictor of being infectious. Crab-eating foxes, which typically present asymptomatic infection and are non-infectious, had parasite numbers comparable to those of non-infectious dogs. CONCLUSIONS: Skin parasite number provides an indirect marker of infectiousness, and could allow targeted control particularly of highly infectious dogs.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Pele
/
Leishmania infantum
/
Doenças do Cão
/
Carga Parasitária
/
Leishmaniose Visceral
Tipo de estudo:
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Animals
País/Região como assunto:
America do sul
/
Brasil
Idioma:
En
Revista:
PLoS Negl Trop Dis
Assunto da revista:
MEDICINA TROPICAL
Ano de publicação:
2014
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Reino Unido
País de publicação:
Estados Unidos