Leishmaniasis in Texas: prevalence and seasonal transmission of Leishmania mexicana in Neotoma micropus. Academic Article

abstract

• The annual prevalence of Leishmania mexicana in Neotoma micropus from 16 southern Texas localities was determined by screening 192 N. micropus using in vitro culture. Eight woodrats also were screened using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Forty-six Sigmodon hispidus from four localities were also tested. Seasonal transmission was investigated through trap-recapture studies at three localities and analysis of infections in juveniles. Fourteen N. micropus from four localities were culture-positive for L. mexicana, indicating an annual non-zero prevalence at these localities of 5.6-27%. Four additional infections at two foci were detected only by the PCR. Transmission occurred in the fall in each case in which season of transmission could be determined. No S. hispidus were positive. These data support the hypothesis that N. micropus is a reservoir of L. mexicana in Texas.

authors

• Dronen, Norman

published proceedings

• Am J Trop Med Hyg

altmetric score

• 3

author list (cited authors)

• Kerr, S. F., McHugh, C. P., & Dronen, N. O.

citation count

• 41

complete list of authors

• Kerr, SF||McHugh, CP||Dronen, NO

publication date

• July 1995

publisher

• American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene  Publisher

published in

• AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE  Journal

keywords

• Animals
• DNA, Protozoan
• Disease Reservoirs
• Female
• Leishmania Mexicana
• Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous
• Male
• Opossums
• Peromyscus
• Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Prevalence
• Rats
• Seasons
• Sigmodontinae
• Texas

PubMed Central ID

• 7625538

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.4269/ajtmh.1995.53.73

start page

• 73

end page

• 77

volume

• 53

issue

• 1

URL

• http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.4269%2Fajtmh.1995.53.73

user-defined tag

• 3 Good Health and Well-Being