Bats as Leishmania spp. reservoir in visceral leishmanisis

• Grant number: 11/20531-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2011
• End date: November 30, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Caris Maroni Nunes
• Grantee: Thainá Landim de Barros
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FMVA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a disease with increasing incidence in Brazil in many endemic areas, in despite of preventive measures used for its control. Because of deforestation, the movement of bats to urban and peri-urban area has grown. They seek for shelter and food, which can be also found in the urban area. These flying mammals are important pollinators and are essential for the environmental balance. On the other hand they can also transmit diseases to humans by its closer contact. Bats have not yet been considered leishmaniasis reservoirs however there are already few reports regarding the presence of Leishmania spp. in these animals. Therefore this study aims at evaluating the presence of this protozoan by Leishmania's DNA detection in bats from endemic areas (Northwest of São Paulo State, Brazil) in order to better understand the relevance of these mammals in the maintenance of this zoonosis.