Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Leishmania infection found in 29% of Brazilian cats tested
By Adriane Pimenta da Costa-Val et al.·Published in Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Serological study of feline leishmaniasis and molecular detection of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis in cats (Felis catus)
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that nearly 30% of cats tested had antibodies for Leishmania, a parasite that can cause serious health issues. However, only about 12% of the cats had the actual parasite detected in their mouth or eyes. This suggests that just because a cat has antibodies doesn't mean it is currently infected. The researchers also noted that the Leishmania found in these cats is closely related to strains found in dogs and humans, indicating that the parasite can infect multiple species. This information is important for understanding how Leishmania spreads among pets and humans.
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Abstract
Abstract Blood samples and swabs from ocular conjunctiva and mouth were obtained from 64 cats. Of 64 serum samples, 19 were positive for Leishmania antibodies by ELISA (29.80%). Eight cats were positive by PCR (12.5%) in swab samples from mouth and/or ocular mucosa. Poor kappa agreement between serological and molecular results (k = 0.16) was obtained. From five positive PCR samples one was L. braziliensis and four were L. infantum. Phylogenetic analysis performed with the five isolates of Leishmania, showed that samples of L. infantum isolated from the cats were phylogenetically close to those isolated from domestic dogs in Brazil, while the L. braziliensis is very similar to the one described in humans in Venezuela. The study demonstrated that, despite high seropositivity for Leishmania in cats living in the study region, poor agreement between serological and molecular results indicate that positive serology is not indicative of Leishmania infection in cats. Parasite DNA can be detected in ocular conjunctiva and oral swabs from cats, indicating that such samples could be used for diagnosis. Results of phylogenetic analyzes show that L. infantum circulating in Brazil is capable of infecting different hosts, demonstrating the parasite's ability to overcome the interspecies barrier.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.1590/s1984-29612020023