Abstract
Serological and molecular tests are important tools to determine and control Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CanL). The absence of pathognomonic symptoms and asymptomatic dogs make clinical diagnosis difficult. This study aims to determine the best combination for the diagnosis of Leishmania infantum in asymptomatic dogs. Ninety-four blood samples were collected from dogs in the province of Bouira, in Algeria and assessed with IFAT, ELISA, and qPCR. The sensitivity and specificity for each technique were evaluated in comparison with the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), which is considered the bestsuited test to determine the presence of L. infantum. In addition, the agreement between these tests was assessed. The use of Cohen’s Kappa coefficient demonstrated a moderate agreement between IFAT and qPCR (k= 0.475), and fair between the IFAT and ELISA (k=0.297). The sensitivity of the molecular test was higher (55.56%) than that of the ELISA (33.33%). According to those results, it is better to combine two tests for the diagnosis of CanL, especially in asymptomatic dogs, which is generally not included in the CanL control program.
Highlights
Leishmaniasis is one of the most neglected diseases in the word
All samples were randomly selected from 94 dogs living in an endemic area of Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CanL) and tested using ELISA, indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and qPCR
The Mediterranean Basin, including Algeria, is an endemic area for visceral leishmaniasis, and dogs constitute a potential reservoir for humans (Bourdoiseau, 2015)
Summary
Leishmaniasis is one of the most neglected diseases in the word It occupies the third place of the most important vector-borne diseases after malaria and lymphatic filariasis (Inceboz, 2019), and is caused by an intracellular protozoan, Leishmania spp in mammals including humans. The most common in the world is cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), local or diffuse, caused mainly by Leishmania major, L. tropica and L. infantum in the Old World, and generally by L. braziliensis, L. chagasi and L. The annual incidence of VL and CL has been estimated at 0.2 to 0.4 million cases and 0.7 to 1.2 million cases, respectively (Alvar et al, 2012) Another form of leishmaniasis deriving from kala azar, corresponds to the post kala azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL). The mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL) is the fourth form It is caused by L. major and L. tropica (Inceboz, 2019)
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