Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Intestinal changes in dogs infected with Leishmania infantum
By Silva, Diogo Tiago et al.·Published in Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria·2016·Departamento de Biologia e Zootecnia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Correlation study and histopathological description of intestinal alterations in dogs infected with Leishmania infantum.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs infected with Leishmania infantum, which causes canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL), showed significant intestinal issues. These dogs had inflammation in their intestines, leading to digestive problems and worsening their overall health. The study found that nearly half of the infected dogs had the parasite present in their intestinal walls, which was linked to the severity of their symptoms. Understanding these intestinal changes can help veterinarians better manage the health of dogs suffering from CVL.
People also search for: dog leishmaniasis symptoms · dog intestinal inflammation treatment · canine visceral leishmaniasis care
Abstract
The aim of this work was a correlation study and histopathological description of alterations associated with the presence of Leishmania infantumamastigote in the intestinal wall of dogs infected with canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL). Three groups were used: G1 (n = 8), comprising naturally infected dogs with CVL with amastigotes of L. infantum in the small and large intestines; G2 (n = 9), infected dogs with CVL, without intestinal amastigotes; and G3 (n = 3), uninfected dogs. Histochemistry and immunohistochemistry methods were used for histopathology and amastigotes identification. 47.1% (8/17) of dogs from G1 group had amastigotes in the mucosa, submucosa and muscle layers of the small and large intestines and it was observed a prominent inflammatory reaction characterized by chronic infiltration of mononuclear cells: macrophages, lymphocytes and plasma cells. Comparison between the groups showed only a significant difference in relation to mucosal microscopic structural alterations in dogs from G1 in relation to G2 and G3. Parasite burden showed significant correlations with the microscopic alterations and clinical status of dogs in G1. By the conclusion, the inflammatory reactions caused by the parasites in the intestines might have contributed towards alterations in digestive processes, worsening the dogs' clinical status of CVL.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26982556/