131590 20260217205453.0 doi 10.1007/s11259-023-10221-y sideral 136924 ART-2024-136924 eng Villanueva-Saz, Sergio Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0001-6209-4282 Presence of anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies in sheep (Ovis aries) in Spain 2024 Access copy available to the general public Unrestricted Sandflies are the primary transmission vector for Leishmania spp parasite in endemic regions. The role of other animals, different from the dog, is under discussion in the leishmaniosis endemic countries. A limited number of reports have been published on the possible role of livestock in European countries for Leishmania maintenance and diffusion. The aim of the present study was to perform a serosurvey on sheep in areas of Spain that are endemic for zoonotic leishmaniosis and establish the possible role of sheep regarding Leishmania infantum infection in endemic areas. Three hundred and two serum samples were obtained from sheep and were evaluated for serological survey to detect L. infantum by using the in-house ELISA technique. Twenty-eight out of the 302 samples included in this study, were positive for L. infantum antibodies (9.27%). In the present study, a significant association was found between adult age and seropositivity (p = 0.006) and female gender and seropositivity (p = 0.02). This association has not been previously described in other European studies related to L. infantum infection in sheep. Our study reveals that domestic sheep in a European Mediterranean country are exposed to L. infantum. To our knowledge, this study demonstrates the presence of seropositive sheep in different regions of Spain for the first time. Further epidemiological studies focus on evaluating the rural cycle of this parasite to know if livestock could act as a potential reservoir are needed. info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess by https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es 2.0 2024 VETERINARY SCIENCES 43 / 170 = 0.253 2024 Q2 T1 0.568 2024 Veterinary (miscellaneous) 2024 Q1 Medicine (miscellaneous) 2024 Q2 2.6 2024 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Lebrero, María Eugenia Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0001-5816-6167 Solsona, Alba Ramos, Juan José Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-2724-2785 Ruiz de Arcaute, Marta Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-7655-2472 Ruiz, Héctor Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-8474-2831 Pérez, María D. Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0003-2555-8425 Bello, José María Verde, Maite Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0003-2957-1379 Ortín, Aurora Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-0313-5926 Marteles, Diana Universidad de Zaragoza Fernández, Antonio Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-2557-4890 Gómez, Alex Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-9723-9004 Trotta, Michele Lacasta, Delia Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-7822-6646 1009 773 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Patología Animal Área Sanidad Animal 1009 617 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Patología Animal Área Medicina y Cirugía Animal 2008 780 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Produc.Animal Cienc.Ali. Área Tecnología de Alimentos 48 (2024), 615-621 Vet. res. commun. Veterinary Research Communications 0165-7380 1113232 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/131590/files/texto_completo.pdf Versión publicada 2431952 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/131590/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon icon Versión publicada oai:zaguan.unizar.es:131590 articulos driver 2026-02-17-20:19:42 ARTICLE