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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 74(2), 2006, pp. 318-321
Copyright © 2006 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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SHORT REPORT


ABSENCE OF LEISHMANIA IN GUIANAN BATS

BRICE ROTUREAU*, FRANÇOIS CATZEFLIS, AND BERNARD CARME
Laboratoire Hospitalo-Universitaire de Parasitologie et Mycologie Médicale, Equipe EA 3593, Unité de Formation et de Recherche en Médecine de l’Université des Antilles et de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana; Unité Mixte de Recherche 555, Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique, Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution–Montpellier, Université de Montpellier II, Montpellier, France

 

ABSTRACT

Studying the ecology of Leishmania parasites is essential for understanding and controlling the epidemiology of the diseases they cause. Despite their abundance and diversity in neotropical forests, few studies have been conducted to investigate the potential involvement of Chiroptera in the Leishmania pathogenic complexes. However, phlebotomine sand flies are known to colonize the same anthropized habitat, are attracted to bats, and are able to transmit trypanosomatids. Thus, 216 bats representing 29 species were sampled in the field in different primary and secondary forests of French Guiana where human cutaneous leishmaniases have been reported, together with 62 non-volant mammals. A series of 411 tissue samples representing 47 mammalian species were cultured and screened for the presence of Leishmania spp. by a genus-specific polymerase chain reaction. All 278 individuals surveyed were negative. Thus, bats do not appear to be involved in the Leishmania parasitic cycles in the Guyanas.

Received August 18, 2005. Accepted for publication October 5, 2005.

Acknowledgment: We thank Jacques Cuisin for his friendly and efficient help during the trapping sessions.

Financial support: This work was supported by the University of the French West Indies and the French Guiana (Cayenne, French Guiana), the French Contrat Plan Etat-Région No. 2365, and the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Paris, France). Field-collecting activities were supported by a grant from the Ministère de l’Outre-Mer (Paris, France) to Francois Catzeflis.

* Address correspondence to Brice Rotureau, Laboratoire Hospitalo-Unversitaire de Parasitologie et Mycologie Médicale, Equipe EA 3593, Unité de Formation et de Recherche en Médecine de l’Université des Antilles et de la Guyane, Campus Saint-Denis, BP 718, 97336 Cayenne, French Guiana. E-mail: ufrmedag2{at}wanadoo.fr

Authors’ addresses: Brice Rotureau and Bernard Carme, Laboratoire Hospitalo-Universitaire de Parasitologie et Mycologie Médicale, Equipe EA 3593, Unité de Formation et de Recherche en Médecine de l’Université des Antilles et de la Guyane, Campus Saint-Denis, BP 718, 97336 Cayenne, French Guiana, Telephone: 33-594-28-72-60, Fax: 33-594-28-72-63, E-mail: ufrmedag2{at}wanadoo.fr. François Catzeflis, Unité Mixte de Recherche 555, Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique, Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution–Montpellier, Université de Montpellier II, Montpellier, France.






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