Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Canine leishmaniasis infection in four dog groups in Northeastern
By Oliveira, Matheus Resende et al.·Published in Parasitology research·2021·Department of Veterinary Medicine, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Canine leishmaniasis in an endemic region, Northeastern Brazil: a comparative study with four groups of animals.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study in Northeastern Brazil found that 34.69% of dogs tested positive for canine leishmaniasis, a disease caused by a parasite. The highest rates of infection were in hunting dogs (54%) and guard dogs (42%), while wandering dogs showed the most symptoms, with 85% affected. The researchers collected samples from various dog groups and found that those living in arid inland areas were most at risk. This highlights the importance of monitoring and protecting dogs, especially in regions where the disease is common.
People also search for: dog leishmaniasis symptoms · hunting dog health risks · how to protect dogs from leishmaniasis
Abstract
Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) is a zoonosis caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania and remains an important public health concern in tropical areas. In Brazil, domestic dogs are considered the most relevant reservoir of the parasite and one of the main targets of the disease control actions. Considering this, we aimed herein to evaluate the CanL infection in different canine groups and distribution of cases in the state of Sergipe, an endemic region in Northeastern Brazil. The evaluated 467 animals were classified into four groups: hunting (n = 50), company (n = 64), guard (n = 140), and wandering (n = 213). Samples (blood, bone marrow, conjunctival swab, and lymph node aspirate) were collected from animals in nine municipalities of Sergipe. First, all animals were submitted to general and ophthalmic clinical examination. Next, they were tested serologically by TR-DPP®, and for the presence of Leishmania, amastigotes in samples of bone marrow, conjunctival swab, and lymph node aspirate were diagnosed by PCR and parasitological techniques. It was observed that 34.69% (162) of the evaluated dogs were seropositive. The highest rates of positivity were found in hunting 54% (27/50; OR = 3.52; p-value = 0.001) and guard dogs 42.14% (59/140; OR = 2.18; p-value = 0.01). Otherwise, the highest percentage of symptomatic dogs was observed in wandering animals (85%; OR = 9.63; p-value < 0.0001). The distribution of case analysis showed that the highest positivity rates occurred in inland municipalities situated in arid regions. Taken together, our data demonstrate that hunting and guard dogs are among the animals most exposed and affected by clinical manifestations of CanL, mainly in the inland municipalities of Sergipe State.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34626235/