Emerging Infectious Diseases (Jun 2019)

Leishmaniasis in Norway Rats in Sewers, Barcelona, Spain

  • Maria Teresa Galán-Puchades,
  • Mercedes Gómez-Samblás,
  • Jose M. Suárez-Morán,
  • Antonio Osuna,
  • Joan Sanxis-Furió,
  • Jordi Pascual,
  • Rubén Bueno-Marí,
  • Sandra Franco,
  • Víctor Peracho,
  • Tomás Montalvo,
  • Màrius V. Fuentes

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2506.181027
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 25, no. 6
pp. 1222 – 1224

Abstract

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We detected Leishmania infantum in 98 Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) trapped in parks and sewers of Barcelona, Spain. The 84 rats from the sewers showed a prevalence of 33.3% and up to 2,272 estimated parasites. These results, in the most abundant potential reservoir in cities, is of public health concern.

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