An Atlas of Surra in Spain: A Tool to Support Epidemiological Investigations and Disease Control
Author:
Henríquez Adrián Melián1ORCID, Tejedor-Junco María Teresa12ORCID, González-Martín Margarita12ORCID, Morales Doreste Manuel3ORCID, Martín Martel Sergio13ORCID, Paone Massimo4ORCID, Cecchi Giuliano4ORCID, Corbera Juan Alberto13ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias (IUIBS), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), 35016 Las Palmas, Spain 2. Departmento de Ciencias Clínicas, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Paseo Blas Cabrera Felipe “Físico”, 17, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas, Spain 3. Hospital Clínico Veterinario-Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (HCV-ULPGC), Campus Universitario de Arucas, 35413 Las Palmas, Spain 4. Animal Production and Health Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 00153 Rome, Italy
Abstract
Trypanosomosis is a global animal issue, causing significant economic losses, particularly in Africa. In Spain, only one pathogenic species, Trypanosoma evansi, has been identified so far. It was first detected in a dromedary camel in the Canary Islands in 1997. Since then, numerous cases of the disease, known as Surra, have been diagnosed, prompting various studies and efforts in control and surveillance. Given the lack of a comprehensive database that consolidates the most relevant data in this area, the development of a national atlas, with a focus on the Canary Islands, to incorporate all available information on T. evansi in Spain became a necessity. For the development of the atlas, a repository was constructed, encompassing a range of datasets and documents spanning from 1997 to 2022. Information from each source, and in particular georeferenced locations and results of blood tests on animals, were extracted and integrated into a comprehensive database. A total of 31 sources were analysed, providing a total of 99 georeferenced locations and 12,433 animal samples. Out of these samples, 601 (mostly from dromedaries) were found to be positive for T. evansi. The Card Agglutination Test for T. evansi (CATT/T. evansi), a serological test, was the most commonly used diagnostic method, and it showed a higher prevalence for all tested animal species. Positive cases were mainly concentrated in the Canary Islands, specifically in the eastern islands, with isolated cases found in the province of Alicante (Iberian Peninsula). This atlas provides an overview of the history and occurrence of Surra in Spain, and it represents a valuable tool for future control initiatives and for research. Still, the need for more studies remains, especially for further testing of potential hosts other than camelids and for the examination of their potential transmission vectors.
Funder
European Union Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands
Subject
General Veterinary,Animal Science and Zoology
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