Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Canine Leishmaniasis infection rates in southwestern Kosovo dogs
By Xhekaj, Betim et al.·Published in Veterinaria italiana·2020·University of Prishtina "Hasan Prishtina"·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serological and clinical survey of Canine Leishmaniasis in Southwestern Region of Kosovo.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In a survey of stray dogs in southwestern Kosovo, 23 out of 125 dogs tested positive for Canine Leishmaniasis, a disease caused by the Leishmania infantum parasite. Three of these infected dogs showed symptoms like skin and eye problems, decreased appetite, limping, diarrhea, lethargy, and weight loss. The highest infection rates were found in the Prizren area. This study highlights the importance of monitoring and controlling this disease, which poses a significant health risk to both dogs and humans in the region.
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Abstract
Canine Leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum is endemic in Mediterranean countries. The disease represents an important public health issue in Kosovo in which the autochthonous cases by humans were reported in the last years. The objective of this study was to survey the serological and clinical data of Canine Leishmaniasis in dogs in southwestern region of Kosovo. The blood samples were collected from stray dogs in four municipalities, respectively Prizren, Gjakova, Rahovec and Deçan. The total 125 samples were collected between April/September 2016. Antibodies of Leishmania infantum were detected by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA IgG). Out of total 125 serum samples, 23 dogs (18.4%) were positive for Leishmania infantum. In three of 23 infected dogs (13%) were shown the clinical signs of Canine Leishmaniasis as skin and ocular lesions, decreased appetite, lameness, diarrhea, lethargy and progressive weight loss. The highest infection rate was detected in Prizren municipality (21.6%), followed by Gjakova (17.6%), Rahovec (17.1%) and Deçan (7.8%). The present study confirmed that the Leishmaniasis is endemic in southwestern part of Kosovo and emphasized the need to establish the surveillance and control of this disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32343094/