Publication: Natural Infection of Sandfly Vector and Reservoir Hosts Species with Leishmania Parasites in Mt. Elgon Cave Habitats in Kenya
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2023-02-15
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NRF
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International Journal of TROPICAL DISEASE & Health
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Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a major public health problem caused by a parasite of the genus Leishmania
which is transmitted through the bite of an infected female phlebotomine sandfly. However, the
disease epidemiology on interactions of causative agents, reservoir hosts,
and vectors in areas
where there is a high prevalence of the disease needs to be properly understood to inform effective
control. The present study was conducted to determine natural infection by Leishmania parasites in
phlebotomine sandfly vectors and suspected reservoir hosts found in caves in Mount Elgon in
Kenya. Sandflies, bats and rock hyraxes were found inhabiting the assessed caves in the study
area. A total of 5688 sandflies collected from caves were morphologically identified and analyzed
for infectivity with Leishmania parasites by molecular characterization sequencing using
Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI). Giemsa-stained blood smears and spleen and liver
impression smears prepared from bats,
and hyraxes collected from the same caves were examined
microscopically for Leishmania amastigotes. The sandflies, bats,
and hyraxes were identified
morphologically using taxonomic keys. The results showed that randomly selected COI sequences
(n = 5) of three different morphologically identified Phlebotomus species were positive for
Leishmania based on their molecular characteristics. Five species of bats were identified,
and they
were significantly more abundant compared to hyraxes (χ2 = 16.7845, df = 7, P = 0.0002). The bats’
species had a higher prevalence of Leishmania parasites compared to hyraxes (F = 7.342, P =
0.0043). Cardioderma cor, Chaerephon pumilus and Rhinolophus clivosus bat species had more
than 5% Leishmania parasite prevalence rate. Leishmania amastigote density was significantly
higher in the liver (F = 39.232, P < 0.001) compared to the density in the blood (F = 75.1124, P <
0.001) of bats and hyraxes. This study has shown that transmission of Leishmania parasites in Mt.
Elgon caves involves vertebrate reservoir hosts (bats and hyraxes) and the insect vector species
(sandfly). Therefore,
disruption of the life cycle of the Leishmania parasites should be done by
targeting these reservoir animals and the sandfly vector.