Wildlife as a Sentinel for Pathogen Introduction in Nonendemic Areas: First Detection of in Wildlife in Spain.

Leishmaniasis is a chronic global arthropod-borne zoonotic disease produced by several species of with cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral clinical manifestations. In Spain, only has been reported so far, although other species of , such as and , are present in surrounding countries. The aim of this work is to analyze the occurrence of spp. infection in European wildcats () 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 target. Subsequent PCR tests were performed using more specific targets for the determination of species: and . Positive samples were sequenced, and phylogenetic trees were constructed. Seven wildcats were found positive for spp. Based on the and sequences, an animal was found to be infected only with in ear skin samples, while two cats were found to be infected with in both the ear skin and the spleen. In one animal, a clear sequence of ITS1 and a sequence of were obtained from the ear skin. Since and sequencing was not possible in three cats, the species of infecting them was not determined. This is the first report of autochthonous infection with 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.