Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common is leishmaniasis in Atlas shepherd dogs
By Bia, Taha et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2022·Veterinary Sciences Institute·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnosis and prevalence of canine leishmaniasis in the Atlas shepherd dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Atlas shepherd dogs in Algeria showed signs of canine leishmaniasis, which is an infectious disease caused by parasites. Out of 161 dogs tested, 110 were found to be positive for the disease, with symptoms including swollen lymph nodes, poor overall health, and nail deformities. Diagnostic tests confirmed the presence of the parasites in many of the dogs, and sadly, some dogs died from the disease, showing signs of liver and spleen enlargement. Treatment options were not detailed, but early diagnosis is crucial for managing the disease effectively.
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Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of canine leishmaniasis in the Atlas shepherd dogs from the Tiaret region of Algeria. A total of 161 dogs were included in this study and four diagnostic techniques were used, namely lymph node cytology, PCR, IFAT and ELISA. 110 out of 161 dogs were positive by at least one diagnostic technique, a percentage of 68.32% of the total number, which represent very high prevalence of canine leishmaniasis in this canine breed. 152 dogs underwent the two serological tests namely IFAT and ELISA among which 137 dogs underwent in addition the molecular examination by PCR. IFAT was positive in 9.86% of the dogs, ELISA was positive in 12.5% while 68% of the dogs proved positive by PCR. 47 dogs with lymph node enlargement underwent lymph node cytology, of which 26 dogs showed forms of amastigotes in their smears after microscopic examination, confirming the usefulness of this approach for the diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis. The clinical signs of the disease in this breed are similar to those of other canine breeds The dominant clinical signs in these dogs were onychogryphosis, poor general condition and lymph node hypertrophy. The autopsy was carried out on 7 dogs that died of canine leishmaniasis, all of which showed splenomegaly, while 5 dogs also showed hepatomegaly. Renal damage was found in 1 dog with frank jaundice. The splenic cytology was positive in all 7 dogs with the presence of amastigote forms in the smears after microscopic examination.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36436887/