Clinical leishmaniosis in a captive Eurasian otter ( Lutra lutra ) in Spain: a case report
- PDF / 1,335,385 Bytes
- 6 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 75 Downloads / 167 Views
(2020) 16:312
CASE REPORT
Open Access
Clinical leishmaniosis in a captive Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in Spain: a case report Ana Cantos-Barreda1, Ricardo Navarro2,3, Luis Pardo-Marín2, Silvia Martínez-Subiela2, Elena Ortega3, José J. Cerón2, Fernando Tecles2 and Damián Escribano2,4*
Abstract Background: Captive and free-ranging wild mammals have been recognized as potential reservoirs of Leishmania infantum infection. The aim of this study was to describe the first clinical case of leishmaniosis in the Eurasian otter. Case presentation: A case of clinical leishmaniosis is reported in a 4-year-old male Eurasian otter housed at a wildlife park (Murcia, South Eastern Spain). The Eurasian otter showed bilateral epistaxis, anorexia, apathy, and weight loss. A complete blood cell count and biochemical analyses revealed hyperproteinemia, hyperglobulinemia, decreases of paraoxonase-1, increases of haptoglobin and ferritin, and proteinuria. Bilateral nephropathy with hydronephrosis, mesenteric lymphadenomegaly, and ascites were also observed. L. infantum infection was confirmed by microscopy (amastigotes were detected in macrophages from spleen aspirate), molecular diagnosis (L. infantum DNA was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction), and serology (anti-Leishmania IgG2 antibodies were detected by time-resolved immunofluorometry). The animal was treated with allopurinol for 3 months and gained weight, the epistaxis disappeared, and the ferritin concentration decreased. Conclusions: This is the first report of clinical leishmaniosis in the Eurasian otter. Our results suggest that Eurasian otters are susceptible to infection with L. infantum and can develop clinical leishmaniosis in endemic areas. Keywords: Eurasian otter, Leishmania infantum, Leishmaniosis, Lutra lutra, Natural infection
Background Leishmaniosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania infantum in the Mediterranean area, affecting a wide range of mammals, including humans [1]. Domestic dogs act as the main reservoir, and Phlebotomus perniciosus is the main vector for L. infantum in the South East of Spain, an area in which this parasite is endemic [2]. Recently, L. infantum infection has been described in mustelids such as the domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) in Spain [3], and free-ranging badgers (Meles * Correspondence: [email protected] 2 Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Interlab-UMU, Regional Campus of International Excellence “Campus Mare Nostrum”, University of Murcia, 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain 4 Department of Animal Production, Regional Campus of International Excellence “Campus Mare Nostrum”, University of Murcia, 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
meles) in Italy [4]. L. infantum infection in the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) was detected for the first time in wild otters from Asturias (North Western Spain) by Oleaga et al. [5]. However, as far as we are aware, no data exist about clinical cases of leishmaniosis in t
Data Loading...
