Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Antibodies to Leishmania found in cats from a visceral leishmaniasis
By Hartmann, Gabriela et al.·Published in Parasitology research·2023·Laborató, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Anti-Leishmania spp. antibody detection in domestic cats from a visceral leishmaniasis transmission area.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that 11% of domestic cats in an area where leishmaniasis (a disease caused by a parasite) is common tested positive for exposure to the Leishmania parasite. This suggests that even if there are no reported cases of leishmaniasis in cats, they may still be at risk. The research did not find any links between factors like age, breed, or sex and the presence of antibodies, but it did show that cats with certain coat colors were more likely to test positive. If you live in an area where leishmaniasis is a concern, it might be worth discussing this with your veterinarian.
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Abstract
Feline leishmanial infection is reported worldwide, but the epidemiological role of domestic cats in the leishmaniasis cycle remains unclear, and cats might act as cryptic reservoir hosts in endemic areas with no feline leishmaniosis cases. Considering that, a serological screening for anti-Leishmania spp. antibodies was performed by indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) in 389 necropsied cats' serum samples from a new visceral leishmaniasis transmission area with no feline leishmanial infection reported to unveil if the cats are being exposed to the parasite. The overall seroprevalence for Leishmania spp. was 11.05% (43/389). No association was found between sex, neutering status, age group, breed, coat length, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection, and Leishmania spp. antibody detection. A positive association was found with coat color (cats within the orange spectrum with white [particolor]) (OR = 2.47, CI 95% 1 - 6.13, P = 0.044) and a negative association (OR = 0.38, CI 95% 0.18 - 0.79, P = 0.01) between feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection and IFAT positivity for Leishmania spp. Therefore, it is concluded that the seroprevalence found was greater than 10%, indicating contact of the protozoan with cats in the region served.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37668713/