Serological evidence of Leishmania spp. exposure in rabbits and hares: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
5 affiliations
- 1Medical Microbiology Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.
- 2Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Sannio, Benevento, Italy.
- 3Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Portici, (Naples), Italy.
- 4College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wasit, Al Kut, Wasit, Iraq.
- 5Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Rabbits and hares are increasingly recognized as potentially relevant hosts in the epidemiology of Leishmania spp., yet the serological evidence across available studies remains fragmented and highly variable. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantitatively synthesize the published evidence on anti-Leishmania spp. seropositivity in rabbits and hares and to investigate geographical, host-related, temporal, and methodological sources of variation. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched for studies published between 1 January 2000 and 1 August 2026, supplemented by Google Scholar and reference list screening. Eligible studies reporting animal-level serological data for rabbits or hares were included. Pooled seroprevalence was estimated using a random-effects model with logit-transformed event rates. Heterogeneity, subgroup analyses, univariable meta-regression, leave-one-out and sample-size sensitivity analyses, and publication-bias assessments were performed. Host-level associations with age and sex were evaluated using pooled odds ratios (ORs). Eighteen studies contributed 29 eligible serological datasets. Based on the available published evidence, the pooled seroprevalence of anti-Leishmania spp. antibodies in lagomorphs was 17.3% (95% CI: 12.0-24.2%), with substantial between-dataset heterogeneity (I2 = 95.0%). The estimate remained stable in leave-one-out analyses (16.0-18.7%) and after excluding the dataset with < 10 animals (17.4%, 95% CI: 12.0-24.4%). Significant differences were observed by country (P < 0.001), antibody endpoint (P < 0.001), and hare species (P = 0.008). In contrast, differences according to host type, publication period, sample size, serological method, and rabbit husbandry type were not statistically significant. Meta-regression showed no significant association with publication year (P = 0.067) or sample size (P = 0.286). Neither age (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 0.92-3.10) nor sex (OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.68-1.47) was significantly associated with seropositivity. Egger's test showed no significant funnel-plot asymmetry (P = 0.090), and trim-and-fill analysis imputed no missing studies. The available evidence indicates substantial but highly heterogeneous anti-Leishmania spp. seropositivity in rabbits and hares, with significant variation by country, antibody endpoint, and hare species. These findings support the epidemiological relevance of lagomorph exposure while highlighting the need for more standardized and geographically diverse serological studies.
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BibTeX
@article{asghari2026serological,
title = {{Serological evidence of Leishmania spp. exposure in rabbits and hares: A systematic review and meta-analysis.}},
author = {Ali Asghari and Giovanni Sgroi and Zaid Hassan Mohsin Alsafi and Laya Shamsi},
journal = {Current research in parasitology \& vector-borne diseases},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.crpvbd.2026.100453},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999683},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Serological evidence of Leishmania spp. exposure in rabbits and hares: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
AU - Ali Asghari
AU - Giovanni Sgroi
AU - Zaid Hassan Mohsin Alsafi
AU - Laya Shamsi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/27
JO - Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases
DO - 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2026.100453
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999683
AB - Rabbits and hares are increasingly recognized as potentially relevant hosts in the epidemiology of Leishmania spp., yet the serological evidence across available studies remains fragmented and highly variable. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantitatively synthesize the published evidence on anti-Leishmania spp. seropositivity in rabbits and hares and to investigate geographical, host-related, temporal, and methodological sources of variation. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched for studies published between 1 January 2000 and 1 August 2026, supplemented by Google Scholar and reference list screening. Eligible studies reporting animal-level serological data for rabbits or hares were included. Pooled seroprevalence was estimated using a random-effects model with logit-transformed event rates. Heterogeneity, subgroup analyses, univariable meta-regression, leave-one-out and sample-size sensitivity analyses, and publication-bias assessments were performed. Host-level associations with age and sex were evaluated using pooled odds ratios (ORs). Eighteen studies contributed 29 eligible serological datasets. Based on the available published evidence, the pooled seroprevalence of anti-Leishmania spp. antibodies in lagomorphs was 17.3% (95% CI: 12.0-24.2%), with substantial between-dataset heterogeneity (I2 = 95.0%). The estimate remained stable in leave-one-out analyses (16.0-18.7%) and after excluding the dataset with < 10 animals (17.4%, 95% CI: 12.0-24.4%). Significant differences were observed by country (P < 0.001), antibody endpoint (P < 0.001), and hare species (P = 0.008). In contrast, differences according to host type, publication period, sample size, serological method, and rabbit husbandry type were not statistically significant. Meta-regression showed no significant association with publication year (P = 0.067) or sample size (P = 0.286). Neither age (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 0.92-3.10) nor sex (OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.68-1.47) was significantly associated with seropositivity. Egger's test showed no significant funnel-plot asymmetry (P = 0.090), and trim-and-fill analysis imputed no missing studies. The available evidence indicates substantial but highly heterogeneous anti-Leishmania spp. seropositivity in rabbits and hares, with significant variation by country, antibody endpoint, and hare species. These findings support the epidemiological relevance of lagomorph exposure while highlighting the need for more standardized and geographically diverse serological studies.
SN - 2667-114X
ER -