Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Leishmaniosis in pets in Jordan - what to know
By Hananeh, Wael et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2025·Department of Veterinary Pathology and Public Health·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Review of animal leishmaniosis in Jordan: An alarming discovery with implications for public health and animal welfare.
Plain-English summary
A stray dog in Jordan was diagnosed with visceral leishmaniosis, a serious parasitic infection that affects internal organs. The dog showed signs of illness, and tests confirmed the presence of the Leishmania infantum parasite. Additionally, an adult horse was found to have cutaneous leishmaniosis, presenting with multiple skin nodules. Both cases highlight the importance of recognizing and diagnosing leishmaniosis in animals, as it poses risks to both animal and human health.
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Abstract
Leishmaniosis is an endemic parasitic infection in Jordan and the Middle East. Despite the endemicity of leishmaniosis in Jordan and frequently reported humancases, no singleclinical case has been documented in animals throughout the country. This report documents the first two animal Leishmania cases in two different animal species with a current literature review. Cutaneous leishmaniosis was diagnosed in an adult horse that presented with multiple variably sized skin nodules, some of which ulcerated. Visceral leishmaniosis was diagnosed in a stray dog. Cytological, histopathological, and molecular findings confirmed the clinical diagnosis of leishmaniosis. Leishmania amastigotes were reliably detected both intracellularly and extracellularly in macrophages in both animals confirming active infection. The etiology of cutaneous lesions in the horse was Leishmania tropica (L. tropica) while Leishmania infantum (L. infantum) was responsible for the visceral leishmaniosis in the dog case. These results showed that two different species of Leishmania parasites in separate hosts could exist with different tissue tropisms that could accentuate the zoonotic risk and shed some light on the importance of accurate and timely diagnosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41354537/