Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Co-infections in dogs with Leishmania infantum and their effects
By Oliveira, Valéria da Costa et al.·Published in PloS one·2021·Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Frequency of co-seropositivities for certain pathogens and their relationship with clinical and histopathological changes and parasite load in dogs infected with Leishmania infantum.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 66 dogs infected with Leishmania infantum, the cause of canine leishmaniosis, were examined to see if they also had other infections that could worsen their condition. Most of these dogs showed clinical signs of illness, and many were also positive for other pathogens like Toxoplasma gondii and Ehrlichia spp. However, having these additional infections did not seem to make their leishmaniosis worse in terms of disease severity or parasite load. The study found that while co-infections were common, they were linked to increased inflammation in certain organs rather than worsening the overall health of the dogs.
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Abstract
In canine leishmaniosis caused by the protozoan Leishmania infantum, little is known about how co-infections with or co-seropositivities for other pathogens can influence aggravation of this disease. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the frequency of co-infections with or co-seropositivities for certain pathogens in dogs seropositive for L. infantum and their relationship with clinical signs, histological changes and L. infantum load. Sixty-six L. infantum-seropositive dogs were submitted to clinical examination, collection of blood and bone marrow, culling, and necropsy. Antibodies against Anaplasma spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Ehrlichia spp. and Toxoplasma gondii and Dirofilaria immitis antigens were investigated in serum. Samples from different tissues were submitted to histopathology and immunohistochemistry for the detection of Leishmania spp. and T. gondii. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to assess the L. infantum load in spleen samples. For detection of Coxiella burnetii, conventional PCR and nested PCR were performed using bone marrow samples. All 66 dogs tested positive for L. infantum by qPCR and/or culture. Fifty dogs (76%) were co-seropositive for at least one pathogen: T. gondii (59%), Ehrlichia spp., (41%), and Anaplasma spp. (18%). Clinical signs were observed in 15 (94%) dogs monoinfected with L. infantum and in 45 (90%) dogs co-seropositive for certain pathogens. The L. infantum load in spleen and skin did not differ significantly between monoinfected and co-seropositive dogs. The number of inflammatory cells was higher in the spleen, lung and mammary gland of co-seropositive dogs and in the mitral valve of monoinfected dogs. These results suggest that dogs infected with L. infantum and co-seropositive for certain pathogens are common in the region studied. However, co-seropositivities for certain pathogens did not aggravate clinical signs or L. infantum load, although they were associated with a more intense inflammatory reaction in some organs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33705437/