Person: Mateo Barrientos, Marta
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First Name
Marta
Last Name
Mateo Barrientos
Affiliation
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Faculty / Institute
Farmacia
Department
Microbiología y Parasitología
Area
Parasitología
Identifiers
2 results
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Item Wildlife as a Sentinel for Pathogen Introduction in Nonendemic Areas: First Detection of Leishmania tropica in Wildlife in Spain(Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 2024) Azami Conesa, Iris; Matas Méndez, Pablo; Pérez Moreno, Paula; Carrión Herrero, Francisco Javier; Alunda Rodríguez, José María; Mateo Barrientos, Marta; Gómez Muñoz, María TeresaLeishmaniasis is a chronic global arthropod-borne zoonotic disease produced by several species of Leishmania with cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral clinical manifestations. In Spain, only Leishmania infantum has been reported so far, although other species of Leishmania, such as L. tropica and L. major, are present in surrounding countries. The aim of this work is to analyze the occurrence of Leishmania spp. infection in European wildcats (Felis silvestris) as sentinels, including their genotypic characterization. Necropsies of 18 road-killed wildcats were conducted. Samples of ear skin and spleen were taken for DNA isolation and PCR of the highly sensitive SSU-rDNA target. Subsequent PCR tests were performed using more specific targets for the determination of Leishmania species: hsp70 and ITS1. Positive samples were sequenced, and phylogenetic trees were constructed. Seven wildcats were found positive for Leishmania spp. Based on the hsp70 and ITS1 sequences, an animal was found to be infected only with L. tropica in ear skin samples, while two cats were found to be infected with L. infantum in both the ear skin and the spleen. In one animal, a clear sequence of L. infantum ITS1 and a sequence of L. tropica hsp70 were obtained from the ear skin. Since hsp70 and ITS1 sequencing was not possible in three cats, the species of Leishmania infecting them was not determined. This is the first report of autochthonous infection with L. tropica in the Iberian Peninsula. Health care professionals, including physicians, dermatologists, and veterinarians, must be aware of this for a correct diagnosis, treatment, and management of possible coinfections.Item Occurrence of Leishmania infantum in Wild Mammals Admitted to Recovery Centers in Spain(Pathogens, 2023) Azami Conesa, Iris; Pérez Moreno, Paula; Matas Méndez, Pablo; Sansano-Maestre, Jose; González González, Fernando; Mateo Barrientos, Marta; Gómez Muñoz, María TeresaZoonotic leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum is distributed worldwide and affects humans and domestic and wild mammals. In Europe, specifically in the Mediterranean basin, leishmaniasis is endemic due to the concurrence of the phlebotomine vectors and reservoir mammals, including carnivorous wildlife species and other less studied wild species. In this article, spleen, skin, and eye or oral swabs taken from 134 wild mammals admitted to five wildlife recovery centers in Spain were used. PCR employing fragments of the Repeat region, ITS1, and SSUrRNA were used for detection, and positive samples were processed for sequencing. L. infantum was detected in three out of the nine species analyzed, including European hedgehog, European badger, and red squirrel, with percentages ranging from 11.53 to 35.71%, depending on the species. Most of the species showed higher percentages of positivity in spleen samples than in skin samples. A small number of animals from the remaining six species tested negative, including Algerian hedgehog, stone marten, least weasel, garden dormouse, western polecat, and Egyptian mongoose. Hedgehogs and badgers are good candidates for consideration as epidemiological sentinels and pose a higher risk as potential reservoirs of leishmaniasis based on their percentage of infection and wide distribution.