Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Leishmania infantum infection found in cats in Turkey's Black Sea
By Pekmezci, Didem et al.·Published in Acta parasitologica·2024·Department of Internal Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: First Molecular Evidence of Leishmania Infantum in Domestic Cats and Associated Risk Factors from the Black Sea Region of Türkiye.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that 12.6% of domestic cats in the Black Sea Region of Türkiye tested positive for Leishmania infantum, a parasite that can cause health issues. The researchers collected samples from 150 cats and discovered that intact (not neutered) cats were more likely to be infected. The most common symptom in these infected cats was skin problems, with a notable number showing dermatological lesions. This research highlights the potential for cats to spread this parasite to humans, making it important for pet owners to be aware of the risks and consult their veterinarian if they notice any unusual symptoms in their cats.
People also search for: cat skin problems · Leishmania infantum in cats · neutered vs intact cat health risks
Abstract
PURPOSE: The objectives of the present study are to determine the molecular prevalence of Leishmania spp. in the owned domestic cats in the Black Sea Region of Türkiye and analyze the associated risk factors in FeL. METHODS: Conjunctival swabs (CS), blood, demographic, and clinical data were collected from 150 owned cats brought to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital during 2020-2022. Leishmania kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) from CS was screened by TaqMan Real-Time PCR (qPCR) with the genus-specific primers and a probe. RESULTS: All qPCR positive products were also amplified and sequenced to identify Leishmania species by ITS1 primers. Molecular prevalence of L. infantum found as 12.6% (19/150) in the observed cats in the Black Sea Region of Türkiye. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between neutered and intact cats with regarding to L. infantum positivity. Intact cats found to be 0.368 times more prone to be L. infantum-positive (L+). Dermatological lesions were found the most common (26.3%) problems in the L + cats. The median leucocyte count was the only parameter that was found statistically (p < 0.05) lower in the L + group (6.60) than the negative group (L-) (8.96), when comparing the WBC, NEU/LYM, MONO/LYM, EOS/LYM and PLT/LYM values. CONCLUSION: This study presented the molecular occurrence of FeL in the Black Sea Region of Türkiye for the first time indicating that the carrier status of the cats makes them alternative reservoirs for possible zoonotic transmission of L. infantum in this zone.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39164546/