The northward spread of leishmaniasis in Italy: evidence from retrospective and ongoing studies on the canine reservoir and phlebotomine vectors
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Summary: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) incidence has been increased in Italy in humans and dogs since the 1990s, with new foci being detected within traditional boundaries of endemic transmission but also in northern regions previously regarded as non‐endemic. To monitor the putative VL spreading, surveillance was implemented in northern continental Italy comprising: analysis of human cases recorded from 1990 through 2005; retrospective literature analysis of canine leishmaniasis (CanL) and phlebotomine sandfly records through 2002; prospective investigations in dogs from 2003 through 2005 and surveys on sandflies in 2003 and 2004. Two‐hundred‐thirty human cases (11% of Italian cases) were recorded. Their stratification by age and HIV status disclosed a sharp decrease of HIV/VL co‐infections paralleled by concomitant increase of paediatric and HIV‐negative adult patients during the study period. Four patients had no travel history. Seven leishmaniasis foci were retrospectively identified since 1990, whereas prospective investigations in dogs disclosed 47 autochthonous clinical cases and 106 autochthonous seropositives among 5442 dogs (2.1%) from 16 foci of six regions. Parasites were typed as Leishmania infantum MON‐1. Four vector species were identified among 1696 Phlebotomus(Larroussius) collected specimens. Comparisons with historical data showed that P. perniciosus and P. neglectus have increased in density and expanded their geographic range in the study area. Northern continental Italy is now focally endemic for VL and a moderate risk for human disease does exist, although the intensity of transmission seems to be lower than in traditional settings of Mediterranean VL.
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The number of positive serum samples of L. infantum in northern Italy increased in the examined 10-year period (2009-2019) from 2.1% (1999-2009) to 21.6%.
“Indeed, the number of positive serum samples of L. infantum in northern Italy increased in the examined 10 years’ period (2009–2019) from 2.1% (1999–2009; [1, 16]) to 21.6%.”
From Leishmania infantum and Dirofilaria immitis infections in Italy, 2009–2019: Changing distribution patterns (2020) · cites this paper as [16]
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- Authors
- Maroli, M., Rossi, L., Baldelli, R., Capelli, G., Ferroglio, E., Genchi, C., Gramiccia, M., Mortarino, M., Pietrobelli, M., & Gradoni, L.
- Affiliations
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità (IT)
- University of Turin (IT)
- University of Bologna (IT)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IT)
- University of Milan (IT)
- University of Padua (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Gradoni, Luigi
- Venue
- Tropical Medicine & International Health
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2008-02
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 256-264
- ISSN
- 1360-2276 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-3156
- OpenAlex
- W2141677295
- Cited by
- 305
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 31 · 2013: 29 · 2012: 20
- FWCI
- 20.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Tropical Medicine & International Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Archivio istituzionale della ricerca (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna) (submittedVersion)
- Institutional Research Information System University of Turin (University of Turin) (submittedVersion)
- Padua Research Archive (University of Padova) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Research on Leishmaniasis Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Trypanosoma species research and implications
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Viral Infections and Vectors
- Keywords
- visceral leishmaniasis, canine leishmaniasis, sand flies, Phlebotomus perniciosus, Phlebotomus neglectus, autochthonous transmission
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Disease Reservoirs, Dog Diseases, Dogs, Humans, Insect Vectors, Italy, Leishmaniasis, Visceral, Phlebotomus, Population Surveillance, Leishmania infantum
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