000164197 001__ 164197 000164197 005__ 20251127172931.0 000164197 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.1111/zph.70024 000164197 0248_ $$2sideral$$a146340 000164197 037__ $$aART-2025-146340 000164197 041__ $$aeng 000164197 100__ $$aBarbero-Moyano, Jesús 000164197 245__ $$aSerosurveillance of Leishmania infantum in Zoo‐Kept Animals in Spain 000164197 260__ $$c2025 000164197 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted 000164197 5203_ $$aIntroduction: Leishmaniosis is a sand fly-borne zoonosis mainly caused by Leishmania infantum in Europe. Exposure to this protozoan has been widely reported in many domestic and wild species. However, epidemiological surveys evaluating the circulation of L. infantum in zoo-kept animals remain limited. This large-scale study aims to evaluate the seroprevalence of L. infantum in zoo-kept species in Spain as well as alterations in serum protein levels in L. infantum-seropositive individuals, to identify potential risk factors associated with L. infantum exposure, and to assess the dynamics of seropositivity in animals longitudinally sampled during the study period. Methods: Between 2007 and 2023, serum samples from 429 zoo-kept animals belonging to 72 species were collected in nine zoos in Spain using convenience sampling. Additionally, 29 of these individuals from six of the tested zoos were also longitudinally sampled. Results: Anti-L. infantum antibodies were detected in 22 (5.1%; 95% CI: 3.0–7.2) of the 429 animals using an in-house ELISA, as well as in 13.9% (10/72) and 66.7% (6/9) of the species and zoos tested, respectively. Serum protein electrophoresis analyses revealed that polyclonal gammopathy was the most common alteration in L. infantum-seropositive individuals. Three animals longitudinally surveyed seroconverted throughout the study period. The multivariate analysis identified the family Canidae as a risk factor for L. infantum exposure. Conclusions: Our results indicate a moderate, widespread and endemic circulation of L. infantum in zoo-kept animals from Spain, which may be of animal health, conservation, and public health concern. Surveillance programs and control measures should be implemented in zoos to minimise the exposure of these species to Leishmania spp., particularly in hotspot areas. 000164197 536__ $$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/AR15-23R 000164197 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby-nc-nd$$uhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.es 000164197 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 000164197 700__ $$aMarteles, Diana$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000164197 700__ $$aCano-Terriza, David 000164197 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0001-6209-4282$$aVillanueva-Saz, Sergio$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000164197 700__ $$aGonzálvez, Moisés 000164197 700__ $$0(orcid)0009-0003-9757-3840$$aQuilez, Pablo$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000164197 700__ $$aBeato-Benítez, Adrián 000164197 700__ $$aMartínez, Javier 000164197 700__ $$aGargallo-Martín, Alfredo 000164197 700__ $$aSoriano, Pilar 000164197 700__ $$aRisalde, María A. 000164197 700__ $$aGarcía-Bocanegra, Ignacio 000164197 7102_ $$11009$$2617$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Patología Animal$$cÁrea Medicina y Cirugía Animal 000164197 773__ $$g(2025), [9 pp.]$$pZoonoses public health$$tZoonoses and Public Health$$x1863-1959 000164197 8564_ $$s730801$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/164197/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yVersión publicada 000164197 8564_ $$s2345799$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/164197/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yVersión publicada 000164197 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:164197$$particulos$$pdriver 000164197 951__ $$a2025-11-27-15:16:54 000164197 980__ $$aARTICLE