Unidade de Leishmanioses, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade Nova de Lisboa (UNL), Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal.
Vet Parasitol. 2010 Dec 15;174(3-4):336-40. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.08.030. Epub 2010 Sep 24.
Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) caused by Leishmania infantum is a serious zoonotic public health and veterinary problem in the Mediterranean basin. Leishmania infection in domestic cats (Felis catus domesticus) has been reported in several countries where this zoonosis is endemic, such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Israel, Palestine and Brazil. The aim of this study was to contribute to the knowledge of the role played by cats in Leishmania epidemiology, in an endemic focus of zoonotic leishmaniasis, the Lisbon metropolitan area, Portugal. L. infantum DNA was detected in peripheral blood of 28 out of 138 cats (20.3%). The result of PCR in blood of cats was not closely associated with the level of specific circulating antibodies in their sera. Positive serology was observed only in one cat out of 76. In the same geographic region and time period the indirect immunofluorescent test revealed 20.4% (31/152) of dogs with antibodies and PCR detected Leismania DNA on 34.9% (53/152) animals. Despite the fact that specific antibodies have been validated for diagnosis of CanL, their detection does not seem to be sensitive enough to predict Leishmania infection in cats. On the other hand, the presence of parasite DNA in cat's peripheral blood during the transmission season and out of the season suggests that these animals living in endemic areas are frequently exposed or infected with the parasite. Although dogs have been universally regarded as the major domestic/peridomestic reservoir hosts, the present data allow us to hypothesize that cats can act as an alternative reservoir host of L. infantum, rather than an accidental host. However, in order to evaluate the existence of a transmission cycle with cats sustaining and spreading zoonotic leishmaniasis is necessary to prove that these animals can transmit the parasite to the vector in nature.
犬利什曼病（CanL）由婴儿利什曼原虫引起，是地中海盆地严重的人畜共患公共卫生和兽医问题。在葡萄牙、西班牙、意大利、法国、希腊、以色列、巴勒斯坦和巴西等存在这种人畜共患病的国家，已经有关于家猫（家猫）感染利什曼原虫的报道。本研究旨在为了解猫在利什曼流行病学中的作用做出贡献，该研究在葡萄牙利什曼病流行地区的里斯本大都市区进行。在 138 只猫中有 28 只（20.3%）的外周血中检测到婴儿利什曼原虫 DNA。猫血液中的 PCR 结果与血清中特定循环抗体的水平没有密切关联。在 76 只猫中只有 1 只出现阳性血清学。在同一地理区域和同一时期，间接免疫荧光试验显示 152 只狗中有 20.4%（31/152）有抗体，PCR 检测到 34.9%（53/152）动物有 Leismania DNA。尽管针对 CanL 诊断已经验证了特定抗体，但它们的检测似乎不够敏感，无法预测猫的利什曼虫感染。另一方面，在传播季节和季节外，猫外周血中寄生虫 DNA 的存在表明，这些生活在流行地区的动物经常接触或感染寄生虫。尽管狗被普遍认为是主要的家庭/周围宿主，但目前的数据使我们假设猫可以作为婴儿利什曼原虫的替代宿主，而不是偶然宿主。然而，为了评估猫在维持和传播人兽共患利什曼病中的传播周期的存在，有必要证明这些动物可以在自然界中将寄生虫传播给媒介。
