Management of canine leishmaniosis in endemic SW European regions: a questionnaire-based multinational survey

Patrick Bourdeau,Rosa Gálvez,Tina Kotnik,Valentina Foglia Manzillo,Ana Oliveira,Guadalupe Miró,Manolis N Saridomichelakis,Gaetano Oliva,Isabel Pereira Da Fonseca,Alex F Koutinas

doi:10.1186/1756-3305-7-110

Abstract

BackgroundCanine leishmaniosis (CanL) caused by Leishmania infantum is a widespread endemic disease in SW Europe. This study was designed to determine how veterinarians clinically manage CanL in this region by analysing information collected in a questionnaire completed by local veterinarians working in clinics in France, Portugal, Greece, Spain, Italy and Slovenia.MethodsOver the period 2004–2011, a questionnaire on CanL was sent to 12,546 small animal clinics located in the six countries surveyed. The questionnaire with 10 items comprising open and closed questions sought to obtain comparable data regarding the main clinical manifestations of CanL, the diagnostic methods used, the treatment regimens selected, recommended preventive measures and awareness of the important public health implications of CanL.ResultsThe data collected reflect similarities in the clinical manifestations reported although there was some variation in the concurrent diseases described, and wide variation in the clinical management of CanL among the countries examined in terms of dosing regimens, therapeutic agents and the criteria used to diagnose CanL. Most veterinarians properly informed dog owners about the preventive measures available and about the zoonotic implications of CanL.ConclusionsThis survey describes the current situation in SW endemic countries in Europe regarding the clinical management of CanL. The data collected reveal a need to unify criteria from evidence-based medicine to determine and similarly apply the best diagnostic and treatment methods available for this disease in the different countries.

Highlights

Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) caused by Leishmania infantum is a widespread endemic disease in SW Europe
To describe the wide variety of clinical manifestations of CanL and provide a tool to determine the best treatment options and prognosis, a classification scheme defining four clinical stages based on clinical signs, clinicopathological abnormalities and serological status has been proposed by the LeishVet group [19]
The main clinical signs of CanL are one or more of the following: weight loss, lethargy, muscular atrophy, non-regenerative anaemia, generalized lymphadenomegaly, splenomegaly, renal disorders, ocular lesions, arthropathies, onycogryphosis and skin lesions [8,19]. This broad spectrum of clinical signs means that the list for a differential diagnosis of CanL is extensive [19,20] and an integrated approach is needed to correctly diagnose the disease. This approach must be based on the following information: epidemiological data, clinical examination, complete blood count (CBC), biochemical profile, urinalysis, quantitative serological techniques and microscopy observation of Leishmania amastigotes in target tissues [21]

Summary

Introduction

Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) caused by Leishmania infantum is a widespread endemic disease in SW Europe. To describe the wide variety of clinical manifestations of CanL and provide a tool to determine the best treatment options and prognosis, a classification scheme defining four clinical stages based on clinical signs, clinicopathological abnormalities and serological status has been proposed by the LeishVet group [19] According to this scheme, the main clinical signs of CanL are one or more of the following: weight loss, lethargy, muscular atrophy, non-regenerative anaemia, generalized lymphadenomegaly, splenomegaly, renal disorders, ocular lesions, arthropathies, onycogryphosis and skin lesions [8,19]. The main clinical signs of CanL are one or more of the following: weight loss, lethargy, muscular atrophy, non-regenerative anaemia, generalized lymphadenomegaly, splenomegaly, renal disorders, ocular lesions, arthropathies, onycogryphosis and skin lesions [8,19] This broad spectrum of clinical signs means that the list for a differential diagnosis of CanL is extensive [19,20] and an integrated approach is needed to correctly diagnose the disease. The immunomodulator domperidone has been approved for veterinary use and could be useful to treat non-severe clinical cases [30]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion