Agent Of Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis Research Articles

Seroprevalence and molecular characterization of Leishmania in dogs from an endemic area of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) can cause large-scale and tenacious epidemics with high fatality rates. Current seroprevalence and circulating Leishmania species were evaluated in dogs domiciled in the municipality of Sabará, a small historic and touristic city in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. A total of 3926 dogs domiciled in seven different districts of Sabará were serologically tested for canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) and immunofluorescence (IFA) assays, in a two-years census survey (2011–2012). The average positivity rate of canine infection was 3.4%. Three additional diagnostic tests – imprint/smear direct parasitological, molecular (LnPCR) and myeloculture – were performed in a random sample of fifty seropositive dogs composed of symptomatic (39) and asymptomatic (eleven) animals. LnPCR showed 100% of positivity for Leishmania DNA in, at least, one among four tissue samples tested (mesenteric lymph node, skin, spleen and bone marrow), independently of the clinical canine group. Higher and statistically equivalent positivity rates (98% and 96%) for Leishmania DNA were found in canine lymph node and spleen. Asymptomatic dogs showed expressive positivity rates in all three additional diagnostic techniques. Leishmania infantum was confirmed as the etiological agent of CVL in Sabará.

Leishmaniasp. Amastigotes Identification in Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumor

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease withLeishmania chagasibeing the etiological agent of canine visceral leishmaniasis in South America. Canine venereal tumor is a transplantable round cell tumor of histiocytic origin which is mostly observed in sexually active male and female intact dogs. It has been shown thatLeishmaniaamastigotes have higher tropism for the canine male genital tract tissues and venereal leishmaniasis transmission has been documented in dogs but, to date, a canine venereal tumor-dependent transmission route has not been fully demonstrated. In this report, a 10-year-old, mixed breed, intact female dog presented a vaginal venereal transmissible tumor but no other clinical abnormalities otherwise. Unexpectedly, tumor tissue imprint smears examination revealedLeishmaniasp. amastigotes within infiltrating macrophages. In addition to the cytological direct identification, the protozoan was confirmed within the neoplastic tissue by means of immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction. This report illustrates an asymptomaticLeishmaniasp. infection that may have started on or from the canine venereal tumor tissue, the latter option further supporting previous evidence of such an alternative vector-independent route of transmission for canine visceral leishmaniasis in areas where these diseases coexist.

CITOLOGIA DE IMPRESSÃO DA SUPERFÍCIE OCULAR DE CÃES INFECTADOS NATURALMENTE POR <i>Leishmania (L.) chagasi</i>

Os cães domésticos são considerados o reservatório principal da Leishmania infantum (= Leishmania L.chagasi), o agente causal da Leishmaniose Visceral Canina (LVC). Sendo assim, a LVC tem umaimportância particular não somente para os clínicos veterinários, mas também à saúde pública. Entre sinaissistêmicos, incluem-se as alterações oculares com blefarite, conjuntivite, ceratoconjuntivite e ceratouveite. Oobjetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os distúrbios da superfície ocular de cães com LVC com ou sem sinaisoculares por meio de citologia de impressão. Este método tem caráter não-invasivo, induz mínimo trauma eboa qualidade das amostras. Os animais foram divididos em três grupos: G1, constituído por 15 animaispositivos e apresentando sinais oculares de uveíte; G2, constituído por 15 animais positivos e sem sinaisoculares de uveíte e G3, constituído por 5 animais sadios. O material ocular foi coletado e processado,sendo subseqüentemente analisado obtendo-se informações de cada grupo. Os animais com sinaisoculares e sistêmicos apresentaram elevado infiltrado de polimorfonucleares e grande quantidade de debriscelulares e muco em comparação aos animais do grupo sem sinais oculares e grupo controle. Conclui-seque a citologia de impressão de cães com sinais oculares pode ser útil no diagnóstico presuntivo da doença,no entanto, os exames, parasitológico e sorológico, são essenciais no diagnóstico da LVC.

A new Leishmania tropica zymodeme--causative agent of canine visceral leishmaniasis in northern Morocco.

"A new Leishmania tropica zymodeme—causative agent of canine visceral leishmaniasis in northern Morocco." Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology, 96(6), pp. 637–638