Martí-Carreras, JoanEspunyes, JohanCarrera-Faja, LauraPasetto, CarlottaAlcover Amengual, Maria MagdalenaChavez-Fisa, SarahCarrasco-Martín, MarinaRoura, XavierFrancino, OlgaFerrer, Lluís2025-10-012025-10-012025-09-162213-2244https://hdl.handle.net/2445/223462Leishmania tarentolae</em> and <em>Leishmania infantum</em> are two sympatric parasites of significant ecological and epidemiological</p><p>interest in the Mediterranean basin. This study investigated the PCR prevalence of <em>L. tarentolae </em>and <em>L. infantum</em></p><p>in two gecko species (<em>Tarentola mauritanica</em> and <em>Hemidactylus turcicus</em>) present on Mallorca Island, Spain,</p><p>using duplex quantitative PCR. A total of 59 geckos were sampled across the island, including 53 <em>T. mauritanica</em></p><p>and six <em>H. turcicus</em>. Tissue and blood samples were screened by PCR for both parasites. The results revealed the</p><p>prevalence of <em>Leishmania</em> infection in adult <em>T. mauritanica,</em> with 10/49 (20.41 %) testing PCR positive for <em>L. tarentolae</em></p><p>only and with 1/49 (2.04 %) for <em>L. infantum</em> only. Coinfection with both parasites was detected in 3/49</p><p>geckos (6.12 %). No positives were identified in <em>H. turcicus</em>, probably due to small sample size. Regarding PCR</p><p>positivity by tissues, coleomic organs were more likely to be positive for <em>L. tarentolae</em> in adult <em>T. mauritanica</em> than</p><p>blood, with a slighter PCR positivity in the liver, spleen and lung. This study provides further insight into the interaction</p><p>between <em>Leishmania</em> and geckos in leishmaniosis-endemic areas such as Mallorca.6 p.application/pdfengcc-by-nc-nd (c) Martí-Carreras, J. et al., 2025http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/LeishmaniosiLeishmania infantumResistència als medicamentsMallorca (Illes Balears)LeishmaniasisLeishmania infantumDrug resistanceMajorca (Balearic Islands)info:eu-repo/semantics/article7606462025-10-01info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess