Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 May 29:27:101094.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101094. eCollection 2025 Aug.

Leishmania infantum and other zoonotic pathogens associated with captive lemurs (Lemur catta) in southern Italy

Renata Fagundes-Moreira  1   2 , Jairo Alfonso Mendoza-Roldan  1 , Marcos Antonio Bezerra-Santos  1 , Pietro Laricchiuta  3 , Matteo Legrottaglie  3 , Lucas Cafferati Beltrame  1 , Nikola Pantchev  4 , Julia Walochnik  5 , Domenico Otranto  1   6
Affiliations

Leishmania infantum and other zoonotic pathogens associated with captive lemurs (Lemur catta) in southern Italy

Renata Fagundes-Moreira et al. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. .

Abstract

Safari-style zoological collections, particularly walk-in enclosures, offer visitors the unique experience of a close interaction with wildlife. However, these interactions can increase the risk of exposure to zoonotic infectious agents. In this study, we assessed the occurrence of zoonotic pathogens in ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta), as well as the presence of Leishmania spp. in phlebotomine sand flies collected in the same zoological park (Fasano, southern Italy). Blood (n = 30), feces (n = 29), and sand flies were collected and analyzed using molecular and serological techniques. In addition, copro-parasitological analysis was performed on fecal samples. Two lemurs tested seropositive for L. infantum using SNAP® Leish 4Dx® (n = 2/30 [6.67 %; 95 % CI: 1.85-21.34]), with one also confirmed positive by qPCR. Sand flies were morphologically identified as Phlebotomus perniciosus (n = 71) and Sergentomyia minuta (n = 1), with one P. perniciosus female positive for L. infantum by qPCR. Fecal samples scored positive at molecular analysis for Giardia duodenalis (assemblage B, sub-assemblage BIV) (n = 13/29 [44.83 %; 95 % CI: 27.63-63.09]; n = 2/29 [6.90 %; 95 % CI: 1.91-22.57]), respectively), Blastocystis sp. (subtype 8) (n = 2/29 [6.90 %; 95 % CI: 1.91-22.57]), and Entamoeba coli (n = 8/29 [27.59 %; 95 % CI: 14.59-45.96]). The detection of L. infantum in lemurs and P. perniciosus suggests that in areas where L. infantum is endemic this animal species may be infected, also demonstrating that SNAP® Leish 4Dx® is effective for screening L. infantum in zoological settings. The identification of G. duodenalis (assemblage BIV), and Blastocystis sp. (ST8) raises concerns about contamination in enclosures, water, and food sources, overall highlighting the importance of sanitary protocols to avoid the risk of infection among animals, zookeepers and visitors.

Keywords: Gastrointestinal parasites; Leishmania infantum; Lemuridae; Sand flies; Zoonotic pathogens.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

All the authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Image 1
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Lemurs during self-grooming within walk-in enclosures at a safari-style zoological park in Southern Italy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Alfellani M.A., Jacob A.S., Perea N.O., Krecek R.C., Taner-Mulla D., Verweij J.J., Levecke B., Egbert T., Clark C., Stensvold C.R. Diversity and distribution of Blastocystis sp. subtypes in non-human primates. Parasitol. 2013;140(8):966–971. - PubMed
    1. Alić A., Hodžić A., Škapur V., Alić A.Š., Prašović S., Duscher G.G. Fatal pulmonary cysticercosis caused by Cysticercus longicollis in a captive ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) Vet. Parasitol. 2017;241:1–4. - PubMed
    1. Anuar T.S., Nor Azreen S., Salleh F.M., Moktar N. Molecular epidemiology of giardiasis among Orang Asli in Malaysia: application of the triosephosphate isomerase gene. BMC Infect. Dis. 2014;14:78. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Barbero-Moyano J., Martínez R., Gonzálvez M., Moreno I., Beato-Benítez A., Cano-Terriza D., Carretero A., Canales-Merino R., Ferreiro-Prado A., Garrido J.J., Risalde M.A. Monitoring of Leishmania infantum in captive non-human primates in Spain. Res. J. Vet. Sci. 2024;180 - PubMed
    1. Beck R., Sprong H., Bata I., Lucinger S., Pozio E., Cacciò S.M. Prevalence and molecular typing of Giardia spp. in captive mammals at the zoo of Zagreb, Croatia. Vet. Parasitol. 2011;175(1–2):40–46. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources