Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
First case of dog visceral leishmaniasis in midwestern Santa Catarina
By Pinto, A O et al.·Published in Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia·2021·Programa de Mestrado em Biociê·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: First case of canine visceral leishmaniasis in the midwestern of Santa Catarina State, Brazil.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 6 out of 126 dogs in the Midwest region of Santa Catarina, Brazil, showed symptoms of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL), a serious disease spread by sandflies. The tests revealed that 45 dogs had signs of the disease, with some showing positive results for the parasite's DNA. This indicates that CVL is present in this area, and it emphasizes the importance of monitoring and controlling the disease to protect both dogs and humans.
People also search for: dog leishmaniasis symptoms · how to treat canine visceral leishmaniasis · dog sandfly disease prevention
Abstract
Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) caused by Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum is transmitted by phlebotomine sandflies and a major zoonotic disease in Brazil. Due to the southward expansion of the disease within the country and the central role of dogs as urban reservoirs of the parasite, we have investigated the occurrence of CVL in two municipalities Erval Velho and Herval d'Oeste in the Midwest region of Santa Catarina state. Peripheral blood samples from 126 dogs were collected in both cities and tested for anti-L. infantum antibodies by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescence reaction (IIF) and for the presence of parasite DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in peripheral blood. From examined dogs, 35.71% (45/126) were positive for at least one of the three tests and two (1.6%) were positive in all performed tests. Twelve dogs (9.5%) were positive for both ELISA and IIF, while 21 dogs were exclusively positive for ELISA (16.7%), and 15 (11.9%) for IIF. L. infantum k-DNA was detected by PCR in 9 out of 126 dogs (7.1%) and clinical symptoms compatible with CVL were observed for 6 dogs. Taken together, these results indicate the transmission of CVL in this region, highlighting the needs for epidemiological surveillance and implementation of control measures for CVL transmission in this region.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34133561/