Survey of Wild Mammal Hosts of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Parasites in Panamá and Costa Rica

ABSTRACT

The eco-epidemiology of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL) is drivenby animal reservoir species that are a source of infection for sand flies thatserve as vectors infecting humans with <i>Leishmania</i> spp parasites. The emergence and re-emergence of this disease across LatinAmerica calls for further studies to identify reservoir species associated withenzootic transmission. Here, we present results from a survey of 52 individualsfrom 13 wild mammal species at endemic sites in Costa Rica and Panama where ACLMammal hosts have not been previously studied. For <i>Leishmania</i> spp. diagnostics we employed a novel PCR technique usingblood samples collected on filter paper. We only found <i>Leishmania</i> spp parasites in one host, the two toed sloth, <i>Choloepus hoffmanni</i>. Our findings addfurther support to the major role of two toed sloths as an ACL reservoir inCentral America.