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Morea A, Stufano A, Sgroi G, De Benedictis L, Bezerra-Santos MA, Mendoza-Roldan JA, Veneziano V, Otranto D, Lovreglio P, Iatta R. Seroprevalence of Leishmania infantum in outdoor workers from southern Italian endemic regions. Zoonoses Public Health 2023. [PMID: 37060161 DOI: 10.1111/zph.13041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonotic vector-borne disease caused by Leishmania infantum. The infection often remains asymptomatic, though clinical forms may occur in immunosuppressed individuals. Although data on leishmaniasis in humans are available worldwide, the exposure to L. infantum of workers conducting outdoor activities has been scantly investigated, and it is limited to military personnel operating in endemic regions. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of L. infantum in different groups of outdoor workers and the occupational risk factors. The cross-sectional study was performed on 229 workers including forestry guards, farmers, veterinarians, geologists and agronomists from three regions of southern Italy (i.e., Apulia, Basilicata and Campania). All serum samples were screened for L. infantum-specific IgG/IgM by using automated indirect chemiluminescent immunoassays. Overall, 5.7% (13/229) of workers was positive to anti-L. infantum antibodies, with the highest seroprevalence in veterinarians (13.6%). An increased occupational health surveillance for L. infantum infection in outdoor workers is essential to better understand the risk of exposure in specific jobs. Furthermore, guidelines and education along with a One Health collaboration among veterinarians, physicians, parasitologists and occupational health care professionals are crucial for the prevention of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Morea
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Angela Stufano
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Giovanni Sgroi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
- Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of southern Italy, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Vincenzo Veneziano
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Osservatorio Faunistico Venatorio-Campania Region, Naples, Italy
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - Piero Lovreglio
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Roberta Iatta
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
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