01023nas a2200181   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042100001600054700001300070700001000083700001700093700001000110700001400120700001200134245009800146520058300244022001400827       2019                            d  c11/20191 aTió-Coma M1 aSprong H1 aKik M1 avan Dissel J1 aHan X1 aPieters T1 aGeluk A00aLack of evidence for the presence of leprosy bacilli in red squirrels from North-West Europe.3 a<p>Leprosy is a human infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis that can also occur in animals and even manifest as zoonosis. Recently, both mycobacteria were detected in red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) from the British Isles. To further explore the presence of leprosy-bacilli in North-West Europe, we screened Belgian and Dutch squirrels. Tissue samples from 115 animals tested by qPCR were negative for both pathogens. No molecular or pathological evidence was found of the presence of these zoonotic pathogens in North-West Europe.</p>  a1865-1682