Potential Animal Reservoirs of Toscana Virus and Coinfections with Leishmania infantum in Turkey |
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| Authors: | Ender Dincer Sepandar Gargari Aykut Ozkul Koray Ergunay |
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| Institution: | Mersin University Advanced Technology Education, Research and Application Center, Mersin, Turkey; Ankara University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Virology, Ankara, Turkey; Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology, Virology Unit, Ankara, Turkey |
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| Abstract: | Toscana virus (TOSV), a sandfly-borne phlebovirus, is an important agent of human meningoencephalitis in the Mediterranean region, for which vertebrates acting as reservoirs have not yet been determined. This study investigates TOSV and Leishmania infections in dogs, cats, sheep, and goats from Adana and Mersin provinces in southeastern Turkey. TOSV neutralizing antibodies were demonstrated in 40.4% of the dog and 4% of the goat samples. TOSV RNA was detected in 9.9% of the 252 samples that mainly comprise dogs (96%). Thus, canine species can be suggested as the candidate reservoirs of TOSV. Partial sequences revealed the activity of TOSV genotypes A and B. In two dogs presenting with symptoms of canine leishmaniasis, infections of TOSV genotype B and Leishmania infantum have been documented, describing the first report of coinfections with these agents. |
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