Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Leishmania parasites found in brain tissue of dog with neurological
By Grano, Fernanda Grecco et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2019·Faculdade de Medicina Veteriná, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Leishmania hide-and-seek: Parasite amastigotes in the choroid plexus of a dog with neurological signs in an endemic municipality in Brazil.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A mixed-breed stray dog was brought in with weakness in its back legs and signs of visceral leishmaniasis, a disease caused by a parasite. Tests showed that the dog's brain and spleen were infected with Leishmania, and the cerebrospinal fluid indicated issues with the protective barrier around the brain. This case is notable because it reveals the presence of the parasite in the dog's brain, which hasn't been reported before in the Americas. Unfortunately, the abstract does not provide information on treatment or recovery outcomes for this dog.
People also search for: dog hind leg weakness · leishmaniasis in dogs · dog brain infection treatment
Abstract
A female adult mixed-breed stray dog presented with hind limb paraparesis and clinical signs of visceral leishmaniasis. The cerebrospinal fluid presented signs of blood-brain barrier disruption. Both spleen and brain were positive for Leishmania spp. DNA. Besides inflammation, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry (IHC) revealed the presence of intracellular amastigotes in the choroid plexus (CP). Despite other studies that revealed parasite DNA, the current study describes the presence of Leishmania within the brain of a naturally infected dog, specifically in CP, with no previous reports in the Americas, and suggests the CP as a possible pathway to parasite entry into the brain.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31303241/