BACKGROUND: Leishmania RNA virus 1 (LRV1) is commonly found in South American Leishmania parasites belonging to the subgenus Viannia, whereas Leishmania RNA virus 2 (LRV2) was previously thought to be restricted to the Old-World pathogens of the subgenus Leishmania. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we investigated the presence of LRV2 in strains of Leishmania (L.) infantum, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), originating from different hosts, clinical forms, and geographical regions. METHODS: A total of seventy-one isolates were screened for LRV2 using semi-nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) targeting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene. FINDINGS: We detected LRV2 in two L. infantum isolates (CUR268 and HP-EMO) from canine and human cases, respectively. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first detection of LRV2 in the New World.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Fiocruz Instituto René Rachou Grupo de Pesquisa em Biotecnologia Aplicada ao Estudo de Patógenos Belo Horizonte MG Brasil

Ministério da Agricultura Pecuária e Abastecimento Laboratório Nacional Agropecuária Pedro Leopoldo MG Brasil

Universidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Departamento de Patologia Laboratório de Patologia de Moléstias Infecciosas São Paulo SP Brasil

Universidade Federal da Bahia Departamento de Anatomia Patologia e Clínicas Veterinárias Escola de Medicina Veterinária Laboratório de Infectologia Veterinária Salvador BA Brasil

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Departamento de Parasitologia Laboratório de Leishmanioses Belo Horizonte MG Brasil

Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias e Infecciosas Divinópolis MG Brasil

Universidade Federal do Paraná Departamento de Engenharia de Bioprocessos e Biotecnologia Curitiba PR Brasil

University of Ostrava Faculty of Science Life Science Research Centre Ostrava Czech Republic

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