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.
BT - Transboundary and emerging diseases C1 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31733134 DA - 11/2019 DO - 10.1111/tbed.13423 J2 - Transbound Emerg Dis LA - eng N2 -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.
PY - 2019 T2 - Transboundary and emerging diseases TI - Lack of evidence for the presence of leprosy bacilli in red squirrels from North-West Europe. SN - 1865-1682 ER -