Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dogs can carry Leishmania tropica and major parasites in their blood
By Rezaei, Ali et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2024·Department of Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dogs may carry Leishmania tropica and Leishmania major in their blood circulation: a molecular and hematological study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that some dogs can carry Leishmania parasites in their blood without showing any symptoms. Out of 135 dogs tested, 7 were found to have Leishmania tropica or Leishmania major, but none showed signs of illness or skin lesions. Interestingly, two of the infected dogs also had anemia, but their blood tests were mostly normal aside from low platelet counts. This suggests that even healthy-looking dogs can be carriers of these parasites, which is important for understanding how the disease spreads.
People also search for: dog blood test for Leishmania · symptoms of Leishmania in dogs · dog anemia treatment · Leishmania tropica in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Dogs may be infected with species of Leishmania parasites that are disseminated through blood circulation and invade the internal organs. In this study, we aim to detect the parasite in the blood of dogs using the PCR technique. The present work was performed from February 2022 to May 2023 in Fars Province, southern Iran, where the disease is endemic. RESULTS: In total, 7(5.1%) out of 135 blood samples, six were identified as Leishmania tropica and one as Leishmania major. We found no trace of Leishmania infantum, which is always known for visceral infection. In addition, no sign of cutaneous lesions or a significant disease was seen in the animals infected with both species. Of 48 dogs with anemia, two were Leishmania positive. The mean value of hematological parameters in the infected dogs was within the normal range except for a significant reduction in the platelet measures (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our data revealed that both Leishmania species, tropica and major, may manifest as viscerotropic leishmaniasis. More investigations are needed to understand the conditions under which these species choose the type of infection. Moreover, our data emphasize the role of asymptomatic dogs in carrying these parasites, a crucial factor in spreading the disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39363300/