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- Title
Canine Leishmaniasis in Southern Brazil: Diagnosis and Clinical Features in Domestic Dogs.
- Authors
Fraga, Aline Padilha de; da Silveira, Vinicius Proença; Freitas Salla, Patrícia de; Goulart, Fernanda Gass de Oliveira; Streck, André Felipe; Pereira, Vagner Reinaldo Zingalli Bueno; de Mello, Lauren Santos; Fonseca, André Salvador Kazantzi; Ikuta, Nilo; Lunge, Vagner Ricardo
- Abstract
Simple Summary: Leishmaniasis is a human and animal disease caused by the protozoan parasites Leishmania spp. Visceral leishmaniasis is a very serious form of this disease and occurs only through infection by the species Leishmania infantum. Furthermore, it is a zoonotic disease transmitted by vectors, with a complex transmission cycle involving numerous reservoirs of domestic and wild animals, such as dogs, cats, and foxes. L. infantum detection in animals is necessary to prevent outbreaks of canine and human visceral leishmaniasis (CanL/HVL). Increasing knowledge of diagnostic techniques and the main clinical manifestations of CanL is also essential to diagnose and treat dogs with this disease. Leishmania infantum is a hemopathogen of importance for the health of domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), causing canine leishmaniasis (CanL), and it is also the etiological agent of human visceral leishmaniasis (HVL). This parasite was not reported in southern Brazil until the early 2000s, but CanL and HVL were increasingly reported in the last 15 years, mainly in cities bordering Argentina. The present study aimed to detect L. infantum in domestic dogs and to determine the main clinical manifestations in infected animals from Uruguaiana, a city with a high incidence of CanL. Fifty-one dogs suspected of having CanL in the urban perimeter of the city were clinically examined by veterinarians and investigated for the occurrence of L. infantum with two immunoassays (rapid chromatography test and ELISA) and real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction). Clinical signs were compared in positive and negative L. infantum animals. A total of 31 dogs (60.8%) were infected with L. infantum. The main clinical manifestations associated with CanL dogs were onychogryphosis and peeling (p < 0.05). L. infantum was frequently detected in urban dogs from Uruguaiana, highlighting the concerning situation regarding health in this city. The occurrence of some clinical signs (onychogryphosis/peeling) could help to detect CanL more frequently in the canine population.
- Subjects
BRAZIL; LEISHMANIASIS diagnosis; DOG diseases; VETERINARIANS; IMMUNOASSAY
- Publication
Zoonotic Diseases (2813-0227), 2024, Vol 4, Issue 1, p114
- ISSN
2813-0227
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/zoonoticdis4010011