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Dogs infected with Leishmania parasites smell more attractive to female sand flies

Date:
March 18, 2021
Source:
Lancaster University
Summary:
Dogs infected with the Leishmania parasite smell more attractive to female sand flies than males, say researchers. Leishmania parasites are transmitted from infected dogs to people by sand flies when they bite. As only female sand flies transmit the parasite, researchers wanted to understand if infection made dogs more attractive to the insect. Globally over 350 million people are at risk of leishmaniasis, with up to 300,000 new cases annually.
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Dogs infected with the Leishmania parasite smell more attractive to female sand flies than males, say researchers.

The study published inPLOS Pathogensis led by Professor Gordon Hamilton of Lancaster University.

In Brazil, the parasite Leishmania infantum is transmitted by the bite of infected female Lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies.

Globally over 350 million people are at risk of leishmaniasis, with up to 300,000 new cases annually. In Brazil alone there are approximately 4,500 deaths each year from the visceral form of the disease and children under 15 years old are more likely to be affected.

Leishmania parasites are transmitted from infected dogs to people by sand flies when they bite. Visceral leishmaniasis affects the internal organs and is fatal if not treated.

As only female sand flies transmit the parasite, researchers wanted to understand if infection made dogs more attractive to the insect.

Professor Gordon Hamilton of Lancaster University said: "In this study we showed that infected dog odour is much more attractive than uninfected dog odour to the female sand flies. Only the females can transmit the pathogen and male sand flies, which do not transmit the parasite, are not affected by the changed odour.

"This clear-cut difference in attraction of female and male sand flies suggests that the females are preferentially attracted by parasite infected hosts and this could lead to enhanced infection and transmission opportunities for the parasite."

The researchers had previously found that dogs infected with Leishmania parasites smelled different compared to uninfected dogs.

汉密尔顿教授说:“国内的狗是再保险servoir of infection, therefore understanding how the infection affects the attractiveness of dogs to the insect vector is important in understanding the epidemiology of the disease and offers opportunities for new control and diagnostic methodologies."

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Materialsprovided byLancaster University.注:内容可以编辑style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Monica E. Staniek, James G. C. Hamilton.Odour of domestic dogs infected with Leishmania infantum is attractive to female but not male sand flies: Evidence for parasite manipulation.PLOS Pathogens, 2021; 17 (3): e1009354 DOI:10.1371/journal.ppat.1009354

Cite This Page:

Lancaster University. "Dogs infected with Leishmania parasites smell more attractive to female sand flies." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 March 2021. .
Lancaster University. (2021, March 18). Dogs infected with Leishmania parasites smell more attractive to female sand flies.ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 8, 2023 from www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/03/210318142503.htm
Lancaster University. "Dogs infected with Leishmania parasites smell more attractive to female sand flies." ScienceDaily. www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/03/210318142503.htm (accessed August 8, 2023).

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