Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and lab tests in cats infected with Leishmania infantum
By Batista, Joilson Ferreira et al.·Published in Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria·2023·Programa de Pó·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Clinical, hematological, biochemical, and histopathological evaluations in domestic cats (Felis catus) infected by Leishmania infantum.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats infected with Leishmania infantum showed several concerning symptoms, including swollen lymph nodes, hair loss, skin sores, and weight loss. Blood tests revealed a significant drop in red blood cells, indicating anemia, along with other serious health issues like liver and kidney problems. The study highlighted that these symptoms are important for diagnosing and understanding how the disease progresses in cats. Unfortunately, the findings suggest that feline leishmaniasis can lead to severe health complications.
People also search for: cat swollen lymph nodes · cat skin sores · feline leishmaniasis symptoms · cat weight loss treatment · cat anemia causes
Abstract
A high frequency of feline leishmaniasis has been reported in several countries. However, much information about disease progression in cats still needs to be clarified. This study aimed to verify the occurrence of clinicopathological changes in cats infected with Leishmania infantum. A total of 60 cats were divided into three groups of 20 animals each: control, suspects, and infected. All 60 cats underwent blood count and biochemical analyses. Serum samples from 20 animals with leishmaniasis were also used to diagnose feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus. A total of five of the infected animals underwent necropsy for a histopathological study. The main clinical findings in cats with leishmaniasis were lymphadenomegaly (65%), alopecia (55%), ulcerative skin lesions and weight loss (40%), skin nodules (25%), a significant reduction in red blood cells (p=0.0005) and hematocrit (p=0.0007), hyperplasia in spleen 4/5(80%), presence of Leishmania in the spleen 2/5(40%), hepatitis 3/5(60%), liver degeneration 4/5(80%) and inflammatory nephropathy 3/5(60%). It was concluded that cats with leishmaniasis presented significant clinical, hematological, and histopathological alterations compatible with L. infantum infection. The observation of lymphadenomegaly, weight loss, skin lesions and low concentration of red blood cells, contributes significantly to the diagnosis and analysis of progression of feline leishmaniasis.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37436206/