Work

Isolation of Leishmania infantum from a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and vector competence of Phlebotomus perniciosus

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) have been reported as potential reservoirs of Leishmania infantum in the Mediterranean region; however, their capacity to infect sand fly vectors has not been previously demonstrated. Here, we isolated L. infantum from lymph node aspirates of a naturally infected red fox and, for the first time, performed xenodiagnosis in this wild canid species using Phlebotomus perniciosus sand flies. Promastigotes were detected in the guts of 92.1% ( n = 151/164) dissected sand fly females, with a heavy parasite load observed in 58.9% ( n = 89/151) and moderate in 27.1% ( n = 41/151). Parasites retrieved from sand flies were molecularly confirmed as L. infantum . Isolation from the lymph node aspirate was successful, with promastigotes first detected after 4 days of culturing, followed by a marked increase thereafter. These findings demonstrate that L. infantum can persist and visceralize in red foxes and that symptomatic foxes could be highly infectious to P. perniciosus . Collectively, the results support the role of red foxes as reservoirs of L. infantum in endemic areas and highlight their relevance for disease control programs within a One Health framework.

Source: One Health

DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2026.101416