Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Leishmania and tick-borne infections found in Romanian dog kennel
By Cazan, Cristina Daniela et al.·Published in Acta veterinaria Scandinavica·2020·Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Detection of Leishmania infantum DNA and antibodies against Anaplasma spp., Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. and Ehrlichia canis in a dog kennel in South-Central Romania.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in a kennel in Romania was tested for several diseases spread by ticks and other insects. Out of 149 dogs, 30 tested positive for Leishmania infantum, a parasite that can cause serious health issues, while a few others showed signs of exposure to other infections like Lyme disease and heartworm. None of the dogs showed symptoms, but the presence of these infections highlights the risk of adopting dogs from this area. It's important for potential adopters to be aware of these risks, as infected dogs can spread diseases to new locations.
People also search for: dog kennel diseases Romania · Leishmania in dogs · adopting a dog from Romania · dog heartworm symptoms · Lyme disease in dogs
Abstract
Canine vector-borne diseases are caused by pathogens transmitted by arthropods including ticks, mosquitoes and sand flies. Many canine vector-borne diseases are of zoonotic importance. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of vector-borne infections caused by Dirofilaria immitis, Ehrlichia canis, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma spp. and Leishmania infantum in a dog kennel in Argeș County, Romania. Dog kennels are shelters for stray dogs with no officially registered owners that are gathered to be neutered and/or boarded for national/international adoptions by various public or private organizations. The international dog adoptions might represent a risk in the transmission of pathogens into new regions. In this context, a total number of 149 blood samples and 149 conjunctival swabs from asymptomatic kennel dogs were assessed using serology and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Antibodies against B. burgdorferi s.l. were detected in one dog (0.6%), anti-Anaplasma antibodies were found in five dogs (3.3%), while ten dogs (6.7%) tested positive for D. immitis antigen. Overall, 20.1% (30/149) of dogs were positive for L. infantum DNA. All samples were seronegative for anti-Leishmania antibodies. When adopting dogs from this region of Romania, owners should be aware of possible infection with especially L. infantum. The travel of infected dogs may introduce the infection to areas where leishmaniasis is not present.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32746875/