Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Leishmania donovani DNA found in stray dog in Bangladesh
By Alam, Mohammad Zahangir et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2013·Department of Disease Control, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: PCR-based detection of Leishmania donovani DNA in a stray dog from a visceral Leishmaniasis endemic focus in Bangladesh.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A stray dog in Bangladesh tested positive for Leishmania donovani, the parasite that causes visceral leishmaniasis (VL), after blood samples were examined. Out of 85 stray dogs tested, only one showed signs of the infection through a specific DNA test. This finding suggests that dogs may play a role in spreading the disease in areas where VL is common. Further research is needed to understand how dogs might contribute to the transmission of this parasite in these regions.
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Abstract
Although Phlebotomus argentipes as the only known vector of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is zoophilic in nature, VL is considered to be anthroponotic in the Indian subcontinent. Peripheral blood samples from 85 stray dogs were examined for any molecular evidence of Leishmania infection in VL endemic areas of Bangladesh. Parasite DNA was detected in a blood sample from 1 of 85 (1.2%) stray dogs using ITS1-PCR, and PCR sequencing of the rRNA-ITS and cytochrome b gene confirmed that the parasitic DNA was Leishmania donovani. The results support the assumption that dogs are a probable animal reservoir for the Leishmania parasite in Bangladesh. It will be important to investigate the possible epidemiological role of dogs in domestic foci of VL endemic areas in Bangladesh.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22878541/