Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi in captive wild felids in Brazil

This study used a PCR-RFLP test to determine the presence of Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi. in 16 captive wild felids [seven Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771); five Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758) and four Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758)] at the zoological park of the Federal University of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Amplification of Leishmania spp. DNA was seen in samples from five pumas and one jaguar, and the species was characterized as L. chagasi using restriction enzymes. It is already known that domestic felids can act as a reservoir of L. chagasi in endemicareas, and further studies are necessary to investigate their participation in the epidemiological chain of leishmaniasis. (c) 2009 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.