Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with testis infection from Leishmania parasite causing orchitis
By Manna, Laura et al.·Published in Parasites & vectors·2012·Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Detection of Leishmania parasites in the testis of a dog affected by orchitis: case report.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old male dog was brought in with swelling and pain in the testicles, a condition known as orchitis. Tests revealed that he was infected with Leishmania parasites, which are typically spread by sand flies but may also be transmitted through sexual contact. The vet found a high level of the parasite's DNA in the dog's testis and lymph nodes. This case suggests that Leishmania infection can cause testicular issues and potentially spread through semen. Treatment options for Leishmania infections may include medications to help manage the symptoms and reduce the parasite load.
People also search for: dog testicular swelling · Leishmania infection in dogs · orchitis treatment in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Transmission of canine leishmaniasis (CanL), a severe infection caused by L. infantum, usually occurs through the sand fly bite to the vertebrate host. A venereal route of transmission has also been suggested, but this issue is still controversial. FINDINGS: Here, we report a case of a dog affected by orchitis showing a clinical profile of L. infantum infection. By exploiting a real-time PCR assay, we detected a significantly higher DNA load of the parasite in the lymph node and testis than in blood and urine samples collected from the dog. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that: 1) L. infantum infection can be associated with testicular lesions in naturally infected dogs; 2) genital involvement could result in shedding of the parasites in the semen, favoring venereal transmission of the disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23021706/