Antibodies against Lutzomyia longipalpis saliva in the fox Cerdocyon thous and the sylvatic cycle of Leishmania chagasi

Sera of 11 wild Cerdocyon thous foxes from an endemic area for American visceral leishmaniasis were tested for the presence of antibodies against salivary gland homogenates (SGH) of Lutzomyia longipalpis. All foxes had higher levels of anti- Lu. longipalpis SGH antibodies than foxes from non-endemic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2007-02, Vol.101 (2), p.127-133
Main Authors: Gomes, Regis B., Mendonça, Ivete L., Silva, Vladimir C., Ruas, Jerônimo, Silva, Mauro B., Cruz, Maria S.P., Barral, Aldina, Costa, Carlos H.N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antibodies, Protozoan - blood
Antibody
Biological and medical sciences
Blotting, Western
Bone Marrow - parasitology
Brazil
Cerdocyon thous
Dogs
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Foxes - parasitology
General aspects
Humans
Immunity, Cellular
Leishmania chagasi
Leishmania infantum - immunology
Lutzomyia longipalpis
Medical sciences
Mice
Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods
Psychodidae - immunology
Saliva
Saliva - immunology
Saliva - parasitology
Salivary Glands - parasitology
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Summary:Sera of 11 wild Cerdocyon thous foxes from an endemic area for American visceral leishmaniasis were tested for the presence of antibodies against salivary gland homogenates (SGH) of Lutzomyia longipalpis. All foxes had higher levels of anti- Lu. longipalpis SGH antibodies than foxes from non-endemic areas, suggesting contact between foxes and the vector of visceral leishmaniasis. Sera of humans and dogs living in the same area were also tested for reactivity against Lu. longipalpis SGHs and had a lower proportion of reactivity than foxes. Antibodies against Leishmania chagasi were not detected in any of the foxes, but three foxes showed the presence of parasites in the bone marrow by direct examination, PCR or by infecting the vector. Both humans and dogs had higher levels of anti- Le. chagasi IgG antibodies than C. thous. The finding of an antibody response against saliva of Lu. longipalpis among C. thous together with the broad distribution of the vector in resting areas of infected foxes suggests that the natural foci of transmission of Le. chagasi exists independently of the transmission among dogs and humans.
ISSN:0035-9203
1878-3503
DOI:10.1016/j.trstmh.2006.06.002