Skip to main content
PMC home page
Epidemiology and Infection logoLink to Epidemiology and Infection
. 1991 Jun;106(3):549–560. doi: 10.1017/s0950268800067613

Seasonal and spatial trends in the detectability of leprosy in wild armadillos.

R W Truman 1, J A Kumaresan 1, C M McDonough 1, C K Job 1, R C Hastings 1
PMCID: PMC2271861  PMID: 2050208

Abstract

A survey for leprosy among 565 armadillos from Louisiana and Texas found IgM antibodies to the phenolic glycolipid-1 antigen of Mycobacterium leprae in 16% of the animals. There were no geographic trends in the distribution of prevalence rates between the sites and the disease probably has a much greater range. Repeat observations in one location showed significant seasonal variations in the observable antibody prevalence rate, but the yearly average remained similar. Infected armadillos tended to be heavier, and the females usually had plasma progesterone concentrations indicative of sexual maturity. Using these characteristics to stratify the populations into adult and sub-adult cohorts, variations in the observable leprosy prevalence rate were seen to be proportional to changes in the age structure of the populations. Leprosy appears to be maintained in steady state within some regions, and nearly a third of the adult armadillos in Louisiana and Texas harbour M. leprae.

Full text

PDF
549

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Amezcua M. E., Escobar-Gutiérrez A., Storrs E. E., Dhople A. M., Burchfield H. P. Wild Mexican armadillo with leprosy-like infection. Int J Lepr Other Mycobact Dis. 1984 Jun;52(2):254–255. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Hunter S. W., Fujiwara T., Brennan P. J. Structure and antigenicity of the major specific glycolipid antigen of Mycobacterium leprae. J Biol Chem. 1982 Dec 25;257(24):15072–15078. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Job C. K., Drain V., Truman R. W., Sanchez R. M., Hastings R. C. Early infection with M. leprae and antibodies to phenolic glycolipid-I in the nine-banded armadillo. Indian J Lepr. 1990 Apr-Jun;62(2):193–201. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Job C. K., Harris E. B., Allen J. L., Hastings R. C. A random survey of leprosy in wild nine-banded armadillos in Louisiana. Int J Lepr Other Mycobact Dis. 1986 Sep;54(3):453–457. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Job C. K., Sanchez R. M., Hastings R. C. Effect of repeated lepromin testing on experimental nine-banded armadillo leprosy. Indian J Lepr. 1985 Oct-Dec;57(4):716–727. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Job C. K., Sanchez R. M., Hastings R. C. Manifestations of experimental leprosy in the armadillo. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1985 Jan;34(1):151–161. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1985.34.151. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kirchheimer W. F. Examination of North American Armadillos for mycobacteriosis--a further report. Lepr India. 1979 Jan;51(1):60–64. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lumpkin L. R., 3rd, Cox G. F., Wolf J. E., Jr Leprosy in five armadillo handlers. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1983 Dec;9(6):899–903. doi: 10.1016/s0190-9622(83)70206-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Peppler R. D., Hossler F. E., Stone S. C. Determination of reproductive maturity in the female nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus). J Reprod Fertil. 1986 Jan;76(1):141–146. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0760141. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Peppler R. D., Stone S. C. Plasma progesterone level during delayed implantation, gestation and postpartum period in the armadillo. Lab Anim Sci. 1980 Apr;30(2 Pt 1):188–191. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Smith J. H., Folse D. S., Long E. G., Christie J. D., Crouse D. T., Tewes M. E., Gatson A. M., Ehrhardt R. L., File S. K., Kelly M. T. Leprosy in wild armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) of the Texas Gulf Coast: epidemiology and mycobacteriology. J Reticuloendothel Soc. 1983 Aug;34(2):75–88. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Stallknecht D. E., Truman R. W., Hugh-Jones M. E., Job C. K. Surveillance for naturally acquired leprosy in a nine-banded armadillo population. J Wildl Dis. 1987 Apr;23(2):308–310. doi: 10.7589/0090-3558-23.2.308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Thomas D. A., Mines J. S., Thomas D. C., Mack T. M., Rea T. H. Armadillo exposure among Mexican-born patients with lepromatous leprosy. J Infect Dis. 1987 Dec;156(6):990–992. doi: 10.1093/infdis/156.6.990. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Truman R. W., Job C. K., Hastings R. C. Antibodies to the phenolic glycolipid-1 antigen for epidemiologic investigations of enzootic leprosy in armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus). Lepr Rev. 1990 Mar;61(1):19–24. doi: 10.5935/0305-7518.19900003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Truman R. W., Morales M. J., Shannon E. J., Hastings R. C. Evaluation of monitoring antibodies to PGL-I in armadillos experimentally infected with M. leprae. Int J Lepr Other Mycobact Dis. 1986 Dec;54(4):556–559. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Truman R. W., Shannon E. J., Hagstad H. V., Hugh-Jones M. E., Wolff A., Hastings R. C. Evaluation of the origin of Mycobacterium leprae infections in the wild armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1986 May;35(3):588–593. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1986.35.588. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Walsh G. P., Meyers W. M., Binford C. H. Naturally acquired leprosy in the nine-banded armadillo: a decade of experience 1975-1985. J Leukoc Biol. 1986 Nov;40(5):645–656. doi: 10.1002/jlb.40.5.645. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Walsh G. P., Storrs E. E., Burchfield H. P., Cotrell E. H., Vidrine M. F., Binford C. H. Leprosy-like disease occurring naturally in armadillos. J Reticuloendothel Soc. 1975 Dec;18(6):347–351. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Walsh G. P., Storrs E. E., Meyers W., Binford C. H. Naturally acquired leprosy-like disease in the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus): recent epizootiologic findings. J Reticuloendothel Soc. 1977 Oct;22(4):363–367. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. West B. C., Todd J. R., Lary C. H., Blake L. A., Fowler M. E., King J. W. Leprosy in six isolated residents of northern Louisiana. Time-clustered cases in an essentially nonendemic area. Arch Intern Med. 1988 Sep;148(9):1987–1992. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Epidemiology and Infection are provided here courtesy of Cambridge University Press

RESOURCES