Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Common other diseases in dogs with Leishmania infantum infection
By Apostolidis, Kosmas N et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2023·Clinic of Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Investigation of comorbidities in dogs with leishmaniosis due to Leishmania infantum.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with leishmaniosis, caused by the parasite Leishmania infantum, were studied to see if they had other health issues. The research found that while many dogs had additional problems like infections or cancer, these did not increase the chance of getting leishmaniosis. However, certain factors, such as being a mixed breed or not using heartworm prevention, were linked to a higher risk of developing the disease. This means that while leishmaniosis itself doesn't seem to be influenced by other health issues, some conditions can worsen its effects.
People also search for: dog leishmaniosis symptoms · mixed breed dog health issues · heartworm prevention for dogs
Abstract
In endemic areas, dogs with leishmaniosis due to Leishmania infantum frequently have comorbidities, including mostly neoplastic, infectious, and parasitic diseases. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of comorbidities among dogs that are not infected by L. infantum, dogs that are infected but do not present leishmaniosis, and dogs with leishmaniosis, and to examine if certain comorbidities are independent risk factors for the infection by L. infantum and/or for the development of canine leishmaniosis (CanL). A total of 111 dogs, older than 1-year and non-vaccinated against CanL, were allocated into three groups: group A (n = 18) included dogs that were not infected by L. infantum, group B (n = 52) included dogs that were infected by L. infantum but did not present CanL, and group C (n = 41) included dogs with CanL. Signalment and historical data were obtained using a structured questionnaire. Laboratory examinations included complete blood count, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, fecal parasitology, modified Knott's test, microscopic examination of capillary blood, buffy coat, lymph node, bone marrow and conjunctival smears, qualitative serology for Dirofilaria immitis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum/A. platys, Borrelia burgdorferi and E. canis, IFAT for L. infantum, ELISA for Babesia spp. and Neospora caninum, and real-time PCR for L. infantum in bone marrow, skin biopsies and conjunctival swabs. A variety of comorbidities were found in all three groups. No independent risk factors for infection by L. infantum were found. On the contrary, among dogs infected by L. infantum, being a mongrel [odds ratio (OR): 11.2], not receiving prevention for dirofilariosis (OR: 26.5) and being seropositive to N. caninum (OR: 17.1) or to Babesia spp. (OR: 37.6), were independent risk factors for presenting CanL. Although no comorbidities influence the probability of canine infection by L. infantum, certain comorbidities may be precipitating factors for the transition from the subclinical infection by L. infantum to the overt CanL.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36878629/