Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Leishmania parasites found in dog's belly fluid in Brazil
By Dantas-Torres, Filipe·Published in Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo·2006·Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhã, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Presence of Leishmania amastigotes in peritoneal fluid of a dog with leishmaniasis from Alagoas, Northeast Brazil.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A male Rottweiler was brought in for severe weight loss, fluid buildup in the abdomen (ascites), swollen lymph nodes, skin ulcers, and eye irritation, all signs of leishmaniasis, a parasitic infection. Tests on samples from his bone marrow, lymph nodes, and skin showed the presence of Leishmania parasites, and notably, they also found these parasites in the peritoneal fluid, which is quite rare. The findings suggest that checking the abdominal fluid could help diagnose leishmaniasis in dogs, especially in areas where the disease is common. Treatment details were not provided, but early diagnosis is crucial for managing this serious condition.
People also search for: Rottweiler weight loss · dog leishmaniasis symptoms · ascites in dogs treatment
Abstract
The goal of this short communication is to report the uncommon presence of intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania in peritoneal fluid of a dog with leishmaniasis from Alagoas State, Brazil. Physical examination of an adult male rottweiler suspected to be suffering of leishmaniasis revealed severe loss of weight, ascitis, splenomegaly, moderately enlarged lymph nodes, onychogryphosis, generalized alopecia, skin ulcers on the posterior limbs, and conjunctivitis. Samples of bone marrow, popliteal lymph node, skin ulcer, and peritoneal fluid were collected and smears of each sample were prepared and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Numerous amastigotes were detected in bone marrow, popliteal lymph node, and skin ulcer smears. Smears of peritoneal fluid revealed the unusual presence of several free and intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania. Future studies are needed to determine whether the cytology of ascitic fluid represents a useful tool for diagnosis Leishmania infection in ascitic dogs, particularly in those living in areas where canine leishmaniasis is enzootic.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17119679/