Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tracking leishmaniasis immunity in healthy dogs in Spain over 3 years
By Solano-Gallego, Laia et al.·Published in The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene·2005·Departament de Farmacologia, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Longitudinal study of dogs living in an area of Spain highly endemic for leishmaniasis by serologic analysis and the leishmanin skin test.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Fourteen dogs, including mixed breeds and Ibizian hounds, were monitored over three years in a region of Spain known for high rates of leishmaniasis, a disease caused by a parasite spread by sandflies. Most of the dogs stayed healthy, but four showed signs of exposure to the parasite. The mixed breed dogs had consistent negative skin test results, while the Ibizian hounds showed an increase in immune response over time. This suggests that while some dogs can develop immunity, others may still be at risk for leishmaniasis.
People also search for: dog leishmaniasis symptoms · Ibizian hound health issues · mixed breed dog immunity leishmaniasis
Abstract
The literature contains few longitudinal studies that have assessed areas endemic for canine leishmaniasis and over the same time interval Leishmania-specific cellular and humoral immunity in healthy dogs. Fourteen dogs, three mixed breed and 11 Ibizian hounds, living in an area of Spain that was highly endemic for leishmaniasis were followed-up over a three-year period by serologic analysis and the leishmanin skin test (LST). All but one of these dogs remained clinically healthy during the study period. Seroconversion was observed in four dogs. The three mixed breed dogs had a negative reaction in the LST in the first and third years. The general trend in the Ibizian hounds was an increase in the diameter of the LST reaction at both the 48- and 72-hour readings in the third year. This study demonstrates that in addition to an increase in Leishmania-specific humoral immune response in Ibizian hounds, a parallel increase in cellular immune response was observed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15964969/