Seroepidemiological study of <em>Leishmania infantum</em>, <em>Toxoplasma gondii</em>and <em>Dirofilaria immitis</em> in pet ferrets (<em>Mustela putorius furo</em>) in Spain

epidemiological data on these infections are limited in Europe. A total of 448 serum samples from household ferrets

were collected between December 2019 and December 2023 in Spain. In this study, we assessed the seroprevalence of

L. infantum and D. immitis using an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and T. gondii using an inhouse

immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT). Among the ferrets tested, the seroprevalence was 10.49% (47/448) for L.

infantum, 2.68% (12/448) for T. gondii and 10.27% (46/448) for D. immitis. There was no significant association between

seropositivity and age, gender, neutering status, cohabitation, lifestyle, and collection date. Ferrets classified as sick animals

related to the presence of compatible or non-compatible signs showed a higher seropositivity rate for L. infantum

(15.90%) compared to subclinical animals (4.76%). Overall, 23.44% (105/448) of the samples were seropositive for at

least one of the three parasitic agents, 3.12% (15/448) were positive for two agents, and 0.22% (1/448) tested positive for

all three agents. Co-infections were also evaluated, revealing that 12.76% (6/47) of L. infantum seropositive ferrets were

also positive for T. gondii (p = 0.011) and 21.27% (10/47) for D. immitis (p = 0.009). To the best of our knowledge, this

is the first report on the seroprevalence of L. infantum, D. immitis, and T. gondii within the ferret population in Spain.

Understanding the epidemiological status of these and other zoonotic pathogens is crucial for enhancing surveillance in

both veterinary and public health sectors, as well as for strengthening prevention and control strategies.