Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with leptospirosis in Uganda showing lethargy and jaundice
By Alinaitwe, Lordrick et al.·Published in Veterinary Record Case Reports·2017·College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) Makerere University Kampala Uganda·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: Case of clinical canine leptospirosis in Uganda
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old male German shepherd was brought to a clinic in Uganda after showing signs of hypothermia, lethargy, and yellowing of the mucous membranes (jaundice). Unfortunately, despite being admitted for treatment, the dog's condition worsened over three days, and he passed away. A postmortem examination revealed that he had acute leptospirosis, a serious infection caused by bacteria found in contaminated water or soil. This case emphasizes the importance of considering leptospirosis in dogs with vague symptoms, especially in areas where it may be underdiagnosed.
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Abstract
In this report, we present the first confirmed case of clinical leptospirosis in a dog in Uganda. A five‐year‐old entire male German shepherd dog from a kennel of 25 guard dogs was admitted to the animal clinic and presented hypothermia, lethargy and jaundice of the mucous membranes. The body temperature remained low during the three days post admission until death. The postmortem examination and histological findings led to suspicion of acute leptospirosis. The diagnosis was confirmed by demonstration of pathogenic Leptospira spp DNA in homogenates of the kidney, liver and lungs by real‐time PCR. This case highlights that accurate diagnostic methods are needed to clarify if clinical leptospirosis is to date underestimated in Uganda and if it has an impact on public health. Awareness should be raised among veterinarians to consider leptospirosis more often as a differential diagnosis as a consequence of the non‐specific signs observed in the presented case.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1136/vetreccr-2017-000484