02144nas a2200301   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001200055653002600067653002400093653001500117653001600132653002100148653001200169653001400181653002500195653001400220100001500234700001200249700001700261245014300278856005900421300001000480490000700490050003200497520129900529022001401828       1990                            d  c1990 Mar10aAnimals10aAntibodies, Bacterial10aAntigens, Bacterial10aArmadillos10aGlycolipids10aImmunoglobulin M10aleprosy10aLouisiana10aMycobacterium leprae10aXenarthra1 aTruman R W1 aJob C K1 aHastings R C00aAntibodies to the phenolic glycolipid-1 antigen for epidemiologic investigations of enzootic leprosy in armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus).  uhttp://leprev.ilsl.br/pdfs/1990/v61n1/pdf/v61n1a03.pdf  a19-240 v61  aInfolep Library - available3 a<p>Other than man, nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) are the only known natural hosts of leprosy with high rates of disease. The origin, range and risk of their infection is not yet clear and a better description of the rate of leprosy over the armadillo's range is needed. Both histopathological examination of armadillo ear tissues and serologic screening for IgM antibodies to the phenolic glycolipid-1 (PGL-1) antigen of Mycobacterium leprae are good relative indices of enzootic prevalence. A survey of 216 armadillos from Louisiana and Florida detected infection only among Louisiana animals. Average antibody prevalence (12.5%) was five times higher than the fully disseminated disease rate described histopathologically (2.7%). The differences in antibody and histopathological prevalence are due to the sensitivity of the methods for detecting early infection. Histopathological examinations describe an advanced disease. The higher antibody prevalence of wild armadillos is not likely to be the result of false positive serologies from self-healing infections or other casual encounters with M. leprae as might be mimicked by lepromin injection. The environmental reservoir of M. leprae represented by infected armadillos is greater than could be previously estimated.</p>  a0305-7518