Evidence of zoonotic leprosy in Pará, Brazilian Amazon, and risks associated with human contact or consumption of armadillos
dc.contributor.author | da Silva, Moises B., author | |
dc.contributor.author | Portela, Juliana M., author | |
dc.contributor.author | Li, Wei, author | |
dc.contributor.author | Jackson, Mary, author | |
dc.contributor.author | Gonzalez-Juarrero, Mercedes, author | |
dc.contributor.author | Hidalgo, Andrea Sánchez, author | |
dc.contributor.author | Belisle, John T., author | |
dc.contributor.author | Bouth, Raquel C., author | |
dc.contributor.author | Gobbo, Angélica R., author | |
dc.contributor.author | Barreto, Josafá G., author | |
dc.contributor.author | Minervino, Antonio H. H., author | |
dc.contributor.author | Cole, Stewart T., author | |
dc.contributor.author | Avanzi, Charlotte, author | |
dc.contributor.author | Busso, Philippe, author | |
dc.contributor.author | Frade, Marco A. C., author | |
dc.contributor.author | Geluk, Annemieke, author | |
dc.contributor.author | Salgado, Claudio G., author | |
dc.contributor.author | Spencer, John S., author | |
dc.contributor.author | Public Library of Science, publisher | |
dc.coverage.spatial | Brazil | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2018-08-08T21:47:07Z | |
dc.date.available | 2018-08-08T21:47:07Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2018-06-28 | |
dc.description.abstract | Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) is a human pathogen and the causative agent for leprosy, a chronic disease characterized by lesions of the skin and peripheral nerve damage. Zoonotic transmission of M. leprae to humans by nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) has been shown to occur in the southern United States, mainly in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. Nine-banded armadillos are also common in South America, and residents living in some areas in Brazil hunt and kill armadillos as a dietary source of protein. This study examines the extent of M. leprae infection in wild armadillos and whether these New World mammals may be a natural reservoir for leprosy transmission in Brazil, similar to the situation in the southern states of the U.S. The presence of the M. leprae-specific repetitive sequence RLEP was detected by PCR amplification in purified DNA extracted from armadillo spleen and liver tissue samples. A positive RLEP signal was confirmed in 62% of the armadillos (10/16), indicating high rates of infection with M. leprae. Immunohistochemistry of sections of infected armadillo spleens revealed mycobacterial DNA and cell wall constituents in situ detected by SYBR Gold and auramine/rhodamine staining techniques, respectively. The M. leprae-specific antigen, phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-I) was detected in spleen sections using a rabbit polyclonal antibody specific for PGL-I. Anti-PGL-I titers were assessed by ELISA in sera from 146 inhabitants of Belterra, a hyperendemic city located in western Pará state in Brazil. A positive anti-PGL-I titer is a known biomarker for M. leprae infection in both humans and armadillos. Individuals who consumed armadillo meat most frequently (more than once per month) showed a significantly higher anti-PGL-I titer than those who did not eat or ate less frequently than once per month. Armadillos infected with M. leprae represent a potential environmental reservoir. Consequently, people who hunt, kill, or process or eat armadillo meat are at a higher risk for infection with M. leprae from these animals. | |
dc.description.sponsorship | Published with support from the Colorado State University Libraries Open Access Research and Scholarship Fund. | |
dc.format.medium | born digital | |
dc.format.medium | articles | |
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitation | da Silva MB, Portela JM, Li W, Jackson M, Gonzalez-Juarrero M, Hidalgo AS, et al. (2018) Evidence of zoonotic leprosy in Pará, Brazilian Amazon, and risks associated with human contact or consumption of armadillos. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 12(6): e0006532. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006532 | |
dc.identifier.doi | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006532 | |
dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10217/190216 | |
dc.language | English | |
dc.language.iso | eng | |
dc.publisher | Colorado State University. Libraries | |
dc.relation.ispartof | Open Access Research and Scholarship Fund (OARS) | |
dc.rights.license | This article is open access and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). | |
dc.rights.uri | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | |
dc.subject | armadillos | |
dc.subject | leprosy | |
dc.subject | spleen | |
dc.subject | acid-fast stain | |
dc.subject | meat | |
dc.subject | Brazil | |
dc.subject | hematoxylin staining | |
dc.subject | Mycobacterium leprae | |
dc.title | Evidence of zoonotic leprosy in Pará, Brazilian Amazon, and risks associated with human contact or consumption of armadillos | |
dc.type | Text |
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