Detection of Leishmania sp. in Rattus rattus in the city of Corrientes, Argentina

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is an important public health problem in tropical and subtropical countries worldwide. The identification of natural hosts of Leishmania is fundamental to better understand the epidemiology of the disease. The importance of rodents as reservoir hosts for different Leishmania species have already been described in different countries, however there are not reports of this situation in Argentina. The aim of this work was to capture rodents in the city of Corrientes, Argentina and detect Leishmania spp. in spleens of rodents through molecular analysis using nested PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) technical and by light microscopy to detect amastigotes. The results showed that sixty four rodents were collected, sixty three of them were identified as Rattus rattus and only one as Mus musculus. Positive results were obtained by Nested PCR, Leishmania DNA was detected in 43.7% of 64 tissue samples (first round of nested PCR), 46.8% (second round of nested PCR) and 3.1% by light microscopy. This is the first report of its kind where synanthropic rodents were found to be naturally infected by Leishmania spp. in Corrientes city, Argentina. Further studies are needed to evaluate other organs and to differentiate Leishmania species.