Publication

Title: Genotyping of Mycobacterium leprae in humans and six-banded armadillos suggests lack of inter-species transmission in Rio Grande do Norte, northeast Brazil
Authors: Ferreira J, Conceição E, Antunes J, Fontes A, Vasconcellos S, Souza e Guimarães R, Lisboa Nobre M, Glauce I, McIntosh D, Suffys P.
Journal: Acta Tropica,280:108186 (2026)

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Abstract

The detection of Mycobacterium leprae in non-human hosts, particularly armadillos, has raised questions about their role in the transmission of leprosy. In the United States, M. leprae strains present in Dasypus novemcinctus armadillos are involved in maintaining the disease. In Brazil, various armadillo species are recognized as naturally infected hosts for M. leprae, and the handling or consumption of armadillo meat are considered as potential risk factors for leprosy. However, genetic evidence confirming or refuting this in Brazil is lacking. To address this gap, Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP)-typing and Multiple locus analysis of 16 Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTRs) (MLVA) were applied to genotype M. leprae DNA of 54 leprosy patients in the city of Mossoró, Northeastern Brazil, and from liver biopsies of 20 specimens of Euphractus sexcinctus armadillos, captured in proximal rural municipalities. The SNP type 4 is the most prevalent (n = 23; 71.9%) and MLVA patterns from 35 patients revealed a dominant genotype in eight patients, indicative of significant local transmission. In the case of the armadillo-derived M. leprae, except for a single complete 16-locus-based MLVA pattern predominantly partial genotypes were obtained. The VNTR patterns were strongly suggestive for SNP type 4. Notably, the VNTR-based M. leprae genotype recorded in armadillos was distinct from those obtained from the human patients. Despite limitations, this investigation suggests intense M. leprae transmission among E. sexcinctus armadillos but provided no evidence in support of zoonotic transmission to humans, in a region of Brazil where consumption of armadillo meat is a common practice.

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Citation: Ferreira J, Conceição E, Antunes J, Fontes A, Vasconcellos S, Souza e Guimarães R, Lisboa Nobre M, Glauce I, McIntosh D, Suffys P. Genotyping of Mycobacterium leprae in humans and six-banded armadillos suggests lack of inter-species transmission in Rio Grande do Norte, northeast Brazil Acta Tropica,280:108186 (2026).