Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Leishmaniasis infection in stray dogs in Southwest Iran confirmed
By Bastani, Mohammad Hosein et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2025·Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Molecular investigation of leishmaniasis in stray dogs in Southwest Iran: Confirmation of cutaneous and visceral species in blood samples.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of stray dogs in Southwest Iran were tested for leishmaniasis, a disease that can affect both dogs and humans. Out of 87 dogs, 8% were found to have the disease, with a higher rate of 22% among those showing skin lesions. The researchers identified three types of the Leishmania parasite in the infected dogs. This study highlights the importance of monitoring stray dogs with skin problems, as they can spread the disease to other animals and humans. Increased surveillance and control measures in shelters are recommended to help prevent the spread of leishmaniasis.
People also search for: dog skin lesions leishmaniasis · stray dog disease transmission · leishmaniasis treatment in dogs
Abstract
Leishmaniasis, with various clinical manifestations, is prevalent and remains a significant zoonosis and public health concern in Iran. Dogs are the main reservoir of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess leishmaniasis in blood samples from 87 stray dogs (55 without skin lesions and 32 with skin lesions) from shelters in Shiraz, southwest Iran, for the first time. Blood samples were collected from all dogs (with and without skin lesions) and skin lesions from dogs with dermatological lesions. To amplify the conserved region of the Leishmania kDNA minicircle, samples were subjected to a species-specific PCR assay. Skin lesion smears were also assessed by microscopic examination. The PCR amplicons were sequenced, assembled, and multiple-aligned with Leishmania strains retrieved from GenBank. Finally, the phylogenetic analysis was carried out. The results showed 8.05 % (7/87) leishmaniasis in all dogs (with and without skin lesions) and 21.87 % (7/32) in dogs with skin lesions. No Leishmania infection was detected in dogs without skin lesions by PCR. A significant association was found between skin lesions and leishmaniasis (P = 0.001). No significant association was found between sex and infection (P = 0.65). Phylogenetic analysis interestingly identified three species, including L. major, L. tropica, and L. infantum, with 95-98 % identities to documented sequences. Microscopic examination of skin smears confirmed the presence of amastigotes in 15.62 % (5/32) of the dogs with skin lesions. This study highlights the importance of sheltered stray dogs with skin lesions as potential reservoirs in dispersing zoonotic visceral and cutaneous Leishmania spp. in this region. It emphasizes the need for surveillance and control measures in shelters to prevent Leishmania transmission to the vectors, humans, and animal hosts. The study also elucidated that cutaneous parasites, identified more in skin lesions by circulating in dog blood, can be detected using kDNA PCR.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40280671/