A 19-month mark-release-recapture study of
Neotoma micropus
with sequential screening for
Leishmania mexicana
was conducted in Bexar County, Texas, USA. The overall prevalence rate was
14.7% and the seasonal prevalence rates ranged from 3.8 to 26.7%. Nine incident
cases were detected, giving an incidence rate of 15.5/100 rats/year. Follow-up
of 101 individuals captured two or more times ranged from 14 to 462 days. Persistence
of
L. mexicana
infections averaged 190 days and ranged from 104 to 379 days. Data on dispersal,
density, dispersion, and weight are presented, and the role of N. micropus
as a reservoir host for
L. mexicana
is discussed.
