Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Leishmania infantum infection found in cats of Northern Sardinia Italy
By Dedola, C et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2018·Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serological and molecular detection of Leishmania infantum in cats of Northern Sardinia, Italy.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 90 cats in Northern Sardinia was tested for Leishmania infantum, a parasite that can cause health issues. The tests showed that about 10% of the cats had antibodies against the parasite, and 5.5% tested positive through a more sensitive method called PCR. Only one cat had both tests come back positive. This study indicates that while the presence of this infection in cats is low, it does exist, and more research is needed to understand how cats might contribute to spreading this disease.
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Abstract
Leishmania infections are endemic in dogs in central and southern regions of Italy while feline leishmaniosis has only been sporadically described in these areas and few studies have been reported on serological and molecular investigation of infections in domestic cats. The purpose of this study is to assess the presence of Leishmania infantum infection in cats from Sardinia, a typical endemic area of leishmaniasis in Italy. Ninety cats attended at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Sassari, Italy, were tested for L. infantum using the indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) test and PCR. Serological (10%) and molecular (5.5%) detection in this population was low, with antibody titres ranging from 1/40 to 1/80. Only one cat was simultaneously positive by IFAT and PCR. This study shows the presence of L. infantum infection in cats living in Sardinia, with a prevalence that falls within the ranges described in other endemic areas and confirms the need of further research to better characterize the epidemiologic role of cats in the transmission of this infection.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31014858/