Clinical Case Report of Suspected Fulminating Leptospirosis In A 4‐Months Old Caucasian Dog And Molecular Detection of Pathogenic Leptospira In Canine In Northwestern Nigeria: Public Health Significance And Ramifications

Abstract

A severely debilitated 4-months old Caucasian male dog presented dehydration, emaciation, vomiting, icteric ocular and oral mucus membranes, generalized lymphadenopathy, hematuria, anorexia and prolonged recumbency. The patient was included and sampled as part of a wide leptospiral study in northwestern region of Nigeria. Clinical workup was done in established protocol for diagnosis based on history, clinical signs and selected laboratory tests, which include: hematology; serum biochemistry; urinalysis; histopathology. Treatment course was administered over 48 hours during which the patient died of overwhelming hepatopathy, nephropathy and pneumonia. Postmortem findings supported by ante mortem laboratory test and outcome of molecular survey within study region tentatively diagnosed leptospirosis, a disease endemic and presenting potentially fatal epidemics and zoonoses in some countries amongst the developing regions of the world. Eighty four (84) out of 342 canine urine samples were selected based on preliminary comprehensive serological and culture isolation data (in press to be published separately) for molecular assay in School of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD). Pathogenic Leptospira was detected using the LipL32 quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). In-house designed primers targeting the LipL32 gene was used to amplify conserved regions unique to pathogenic Leptospira. Out of the 84 urine samples tested, 38(45.2%) were positive with the LipL32 qRT-PCR. This case report and the molecular assay outcome underscore the need for attention on the public health significance of the disease in the studied region and continent. With many unanswered and unasked questions about leptospirosis epidemiology and ecology in various regions in Africa, this study may help awaken stakeholders on danger that portends should canine infection and disease progression continue unchecked. Support or Funding Information I am applying for an ASBMB travel grant to sponsor partly my abstract and participation in the conference. Infiltration of inflammatory cells into the nephrons Pus cells and areas of edema in lungs Accumulation of pus cells in the kidneys Areas of bronchial infiltrations Gross enlargement of kidneys Gross hemorrhages on lungs This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.