{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,10]],"date-time":"2026-11-10T00:43:59Z","timestamp":1794271439741,"version":"4.9.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"18","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,20]],"date-time":"2025-09-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1758326400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"CEU Cardenal Herrera University","award":["FPI\/CEU-UCH\/2022\/86"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["FPI\/CEU-UCH\/2022\/86"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania, transmitted by phlebotomine sandflies. While domestic dogs are the main hosts in the Mediterranean basin, wild carnivores have also been proposed as potential reservoirs. This study assessed the presence of Leishmania spp. in 250 animals from the Valencian Community, eastern Spain\u2014an endemic region\u2014using TaqMan qPCR on spleen samples from 216 wild carnivores and sera from 34 feral cats, and ELISA serology on 174 wild carnivores. DNA of Leishmania spp. was detected in 14 out of 250 individuals (5.6%), with red foxes representing most positive cases (10\/102; 9.8%). Seropositivity was observed only in red foxes, with 5 out of 174 individuals testing positive (2.9%). Most qPCR-positive animals had high Ct values, consistent with low parasite loads. One fox, positive by both methods, showed advanced skin lesions and was later diagnosed with sarcoptic mange, suggesting possible interaction with Leishmania infection. The overall low prevalence and parasite burden suggest limited circulation in the surveyed wildlife. These findings contribute to understanding the epidemiological role of wild mesocarnivores and highlight the relevance of wildlife monitoring within a One Health approach.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani15182751","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,22]],"date-time":"2025-09-22T10:05:17Z","timestamp":1758535517000},"page":"2751","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Molecular and Serological Detection of Leishmania spp. in Mediterranean Wild Carnivores and Feral Cats: Implications for Wildlife Health and One Health Surveillance"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-0566-874X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesca","family":"Suita","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Servicio de An\u00e1lisis, Investigaci\u00f3n, Gesti\u00f3n de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Veterinary Faculty, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46115 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2490-6336","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"V\u00edctor","family":"Lizana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Servicio de An\u00e1lisis, Investigaci\u00f3n, Gesti\u00f3n de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Veterinary Faculty, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46115 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2162-9495","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jordi","family":"Aguil\u00f3-Gisbert","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Servicio de An\u00e1lisis, Investigaci\u00f3n, Gesti\u00f3n de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Veterinary Faculty, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46115 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9506-4311","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jordi","family":"L\u00f3pez-Ramon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Servicio de An\u00e1lisis, Investigaci\u00f3n, Gesti\u00f3n de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Veterinary Faculty, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46115 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-8608-5190","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"Torres Da Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Servicio de An\u00e1lisis, Investigaci\u00f3n, Gesti\u00f3n de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Veterinary Faculty, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46115 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0486-1513","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eduardo A.","family":"D\u00edaz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Quito 170901, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1401-772X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jes\u00fas","family":"Cardells","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Servicio de An\u00e1lisis, Investigaci\u00f3n, Gesti\u00f3n de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Veterinary Faculty, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46115 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"961","DOI":"10.1111\/zph.12646","article-title":"Genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships between Leishmania infantum from dogs, humans and wildlife in south-east Spain","volume":"66","author":"Latrofa","year":"2019","journal-title":"Zoonoses Public Health"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"197","DOI":"10.1186\/1756-3305-4-197","article-title":"One Health: The global challenge of epidemic and endemic leishmaniasis","volume":"4","author":"Day","year":"2011","journal-title":"Parasites Vectors"},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2025, March 25). 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