Leishmania infantum in Tigers and Sand Flies from a Leishmaniasis-Endemic Area, Southern Italy

Abstract

We detected Leishmania infantum infection in 45% of tigers and 5.3% of sand flies tested at a zoo in southern Italy in 2019. These infections in tigers and the abundance of Phlebotomus perniciosus sand flies represent a potential risk to other animals and humans living in or visiting the zoo.

Keywords

• Leishmania infantum
• infection
• IFAT
• real-time PCR
• sand flies
• blood meal preferences