Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Miltefosine treatment results vary in dogs with Leishmania infection
By Gonçalves, Gustavo et al.·Published in Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria·2024·Laborató·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Therapeutic success and failure in using miltefosine to treat dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two dogs diagnosed with Leishmania infection were treated with a medication called miltefosine, which is commonly used for this condition. One dog improved and became asymptomatic after treatment, but the parasite levels in its body remained high. The other dog, however, got worse and showed no improvement in parasite levels despite the treatment. This highlights that while miltefosine can help some dogs, it may not work for everyone, and both dogs still pose a risk for spreading the disease. It's important for pet owners to take precautions to prevent sandflies from reaching their pets.
People also search for: dog leishmaniasis treatment · miltefosine for dogs · why is my dog sick after treatment
Abstract
In urban environments, domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) are a major reservoir for the parasite Leishmania infantum. Miltefosine has been used as the standard treatment for canine visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil. However, therapeutic failures have been reported. In the present study, two dogs (CG03 and CG06) with a diagnosis of infection by L. infantum underwent two cycles of treatment with miltefosine (Milteforan™ - Virbac®). Analyses showed increases in the parasite load of both CG03 and CG06, even after treatment. The clinical score of CG03 dropped from 1 to 0 (after one round of treatment), such that this dog became asymptomatic. CG06 showed clinical worsening, such that its score increased from 1 to 2. After the second therapeutic round, the parasite load in CG03 was found to have decreased, but it was still higher than before drug treatment even though this dog was physically asymptomatic. There was no decrease in the parasite load in CG06 and there was clinical worsening. The clinical response of these dogs to the treatment differed, but the parasite load remained high in both cases, which poses a risk to public health, making it essential take measures to prevent the sandfly vector from accessing the dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38359300/