RT Journal Article
T1 Leishmania Infantum infection in bennett's wallabies (macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus) in a Spanish wildlife park
A1 Montoya Matute, Ana
A1 Pérez de Quadros, Lino
A1 Mateo, Marta
A1 Hernández, Leticia
A1 Gálvez Esteban, Rosa María
A1 Alcántara, Gabriel
A1 Checa Herráiz, Rocío
A1 Jiménez Martínez, María de los Ángeles
A1 Chicharro, Carmen
A1 Cruz, Israel
A1 Miró Corrales, Guadalupe
AB Although dogs are the main reservoir for human Leishmania infantum infection, the disease has also been reported in other domestic and wild mammals. In 2011, a fatal case of naturally acquired leishmaniosis was described for the first time in a Bennett's wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus) kept in a wildlife park in Madrid (Spain). This study was designed to assess the infection status of twelve Bennett's wallabies in the same park one year after this incident. Phlebotomus perniciosus, the main vector of L. infantum in Spain, was screened for using sticky and Centers for Disease Control miniature light traps. L. infantum infection was confirmed by molecular diagnosis in four animals, but only one wallaby returned a positive serology result. The presence of the sand fly vector was also confirmed in this habitat. These results suggest that the first case of L. infantum in a wallaby in this park was not an isolated incident and stress the need for further work to determine the role of this parasite in the morbidity and mortality of these macropods. Madrid was recently the scene of an outbreak of human cutaneous and visceral leishmaniosis. Epidemiological studies have so far revealed the widespread presence of L. infantum infection in animals other than the dog. Our ongoing work suggests a risk of L. infantum infection not only among captive animals in Madrid, but also among threatened species or even species that are already extinct in the wild.
PB BioOne
SN 1042-7260
YR 2016
FD 2016
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/97227
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/97227
LA eng
NO Montoya, A., de Quadros, L. P., Mateo, M., Hernández, L., Gálvez, R., Alcántara, G., Checa, R., Jiménez, M. Á., Chicharro, C., Cruz, I., & Miró, G. (2016). LEISHMANIA INFANTUM INFECTION IN BENNETT'S WALLABIES (MACROPUS RUFOGRISEUS RUFOGRISEUS) IN A SPANISH WILDLIFE PARK. Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine : official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians, 47(2), 586–593. https://doi.org/10.1638/2014-0216.1
DS Docta Complutense
RD 17 oct 2025