Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease caused by predominantly vectorborne Leishmania spp. In the United States, canine visceral leishmaniasis is common among hounds, and L. infantum vertical transmission among hounds has been confirmed. We found that L. infantum from hounds remains infective in sandflies, underscoring the risk for human exposure by vectorborne transmission.
Keywords: Leishmania; Leishmania infantum; United States; canine; emerging; hounds; leishmaniasis; parasites; protozoa; vectorborne infections; zoonotic.