An Urban Case of Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis in the Municipality of Pereira, Colombia

American visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by Leishmania infantum/chagasi, transmitted by the sandflies Lutzomyia longipalpis and Lu. evansi. Dogs are the main reservoir and source for zoonotic infections in humans. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to diagnose such diseases in domestic animals to maintain public health. In 2019, the authors of the present study observed intracellular amastigotes in Giemsa-stained bone marrow smear using a real-time qPCR (parasite load was 484,336 DNA copies/mL), a canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) case caused by L. infantum/chagasi, in a 22-month-old male, English bulldog from Pereira, Colombia, a municipality not previously considered endemic for CVL nor human VL. Therefore, further field studies are necessary to determine if there is a low-grade circulation of this parasite among dogs and other animal reservoirs in the area, also entomological surveys are of utmost importance, as well as highlighting the clinical suspicion of this disease in domestic animals and humans.

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Importance of Lutzomyia longipalpis in the dynamics of transmission of canine visceral leishmaniasis in the endemic area of Porteirinha Municipality, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Veterinary Parasitology ◽

10.1016/j.vetpar.2005.05.006 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 131 (3-4) ◽

pp. 213-220 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

João C. França-Silva ◽

Ricardo A. Barata ◽

Roberto T. da Costa ◽

Érika Michalsky Monteiro ◽

George L. L. Machado-Coelho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Endemic Area ◽

Minas Gerais ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis

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Occurrence of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Phlebotominae) and canine visceral leishmaniasis in a rural area of Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil

Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária ◽

10.1590/s1984-29612014087 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 456-462 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Julio Cesar Pereira Spada ◽

Diogo Tiago da Silva ◽

Kennya Rozy Real Martins ◽

Lílian Aparecida Colebrusco Rodas ◽

Maria Luana Alves ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Rural Area ◽

Antibody Test ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Climatic Data ◽

Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Serological Tests ◽

Relative Air Humidity ◽

Control And Prevention ◽

One Year

This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of Lutzomyia longipalpis and also the canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) in a rural area of Ilha Solteira, state of São Paulo. Blood samples were collected from 32 dogs from different rural properties (small farms) and were analyzed by ELISA and the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) in order to diagnose CVL. From these serological tests, 31.25% of the dogs were positive for CVL and these were distributed in 66.7% (8/12) of the rural properties, which were positive for L. longipalpis. CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) light traps were installed in 12 properties (one per property) and insects were caught on three consecutive days per month for one year. L. longipalpis was present on 100% of the rural properties visited, at least once during the twelve-month interval, totaling 64 males and 25 females. The insects were more numerous after the peak of the rain, but the association between prevalence of peridomestic vectors and the climatic data (precipitation, relative air humidity and temperature) and the occurrences of CVL among dogs on each rural property were not statistical significant (p <0.05). However, the occurrence of CVL cases in dogs and the presence of L. longipalpis indicate that more attention is necessairy for the control of this disease in the rural area studied.

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Canine visceral leishmaniasis in Londrina, Paraná - investigation and case report

Semina Ciências Agrárias ◽

10.5433/1679-0359.2018v39n3p1371 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 1371

Author(s):

Eloiza Teles Caldart ◽

Cínthia Peres Camilo ◽

Jéssica Regina Moreira ◽

Andressa Maria Rorato Nascimento de Matos ◽

Fernanda Pinto Ferreira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Marrow ◽

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Present Report ◽

Northern Region ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Serological Tests ◽

Mild Anemia ◽

Severe Clinical Picture ◽

Search For Information

Dogs are considered the main reservoirs of visceral leishmaniasis for humans, which also present a chronic and severe clinical picture when affected. The objective of the present report was to describe a canine visceral leishmaniasis case diagnosed in Londrina, an indene city, and its investigation. A street animal with extensive dermatological lesions, onychogryphosis, mild anemia and leukopenia was attended at a veterinary hospital in Londrina, where positivity was reported for Leishmania spp. in serological tests. Cytology was positive in bone marrow, PCR and parasite culture were positive in skin, spleen, liver, lymph node and bone marrow, and DNA sequencing confirmed the species of the parasite as L. (L.) infantum. The official diagnosis was made by the Central Laboratory of Paraná (LACEN), and through an official report, an investigation of the case was started for the confirmation of autochthony. An active search for the vector and other canine cases in the neighborhood was carried out along with a search for information on the origin of the animal in question. However, the species, Lutzomyia longipalpis, new canine cases, or origin of the sick animal were not identified. Although, the present case cannot be confirmed as autochthonous, we suggest that it is necessary to disseminate the present report to serve as a warning to veterinarians and other public health professionals in the northern region of Paraná to be attentive to suspicious cases and to not fail to investigate these cases to the end.

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Canine visceral leishmaniasis: Relationships between clinical status, humoral immune response, haematology and Lutzomyia (Lutzomyia) longipalpis infectivity

The Veterinary Journal ◽

10.1016/j.tvjl.2006.11.006 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 174 (3) ◽

pp. 636-643 ◽

Cited By ~ 76

Author(s):

Adriane Pimenta da Costa-Val ◽

Reginaldo Roris Cavalcanti ◽

Nelder de Figueiredo Gontijo ◽

Marilene Suzan Marques Michalick ◽

Bruce Alexander ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Response ◽

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Humoral Immune Response ◽

Clinical Status ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Humoral Immune

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Canine visceral leishmaniasis due to Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi in Amazonian Brazil: comparison of the parasite density from the skin, lymph node and visceral tissues between symptomatic and asymptomatic, seropositive dogs

Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo ◽

10.1590/s0036-46652010000500007 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 52 (5) ◽

pp. 259-266 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Luciana Vieira R. Lima ◽

Liliane Almeida Carneiro ◽

Marliane Batista Campos ◽

Eujênia Janis Chagas ◽

Márcia D. Laurenti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lymph Node ◽

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Parasite Density ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Source Of Infection ◽

Macrophage Density ◽

Northern Brazil ◽

Amazonian Brazil

Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) is recognizable by characteristic signs of disease and is highly lethal. The infection, however, may be quite inapparent in some seropositive dogs, and this has raised the polemic question as to whether or not such animals can be a source of infection for Lutzomyia longipalpis, the vector of American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL). In this study we have examined 51 dogs with acute CVL from an AVL area in Pará State, northern Brazil, and compared the parasite density, amastigotes of Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi, in the skin, lymph node and viscera of symptomatic with that of nine asymptomatic but seropositive dogs (IFAT-IgG). Post-mortem biopsy fragments of these tissues were processed by immunohistochemistry, using a polyclonal antibody against Leishmania sp. The X² and Mann Whitney tests were used to evaluate the means of infected macrophage density (p < 0.05). There was no difference (p > 0.05) in the skin (10.7/mm² x 15.5/mm²) and lymph node (6.3/mm² x 8.3/mm²), between asymptomatic and symptomatic dogs, respectively. It was higher (p < 0.05), however, in the viscera of symptomatic (5.3/mm²) than it was in asymptomatic (1.4/mm²) dogs. These results strongly suggest that asymptomatic or symptomatic L. (L.) i. chagasi-infected dogs can serve as a source of infection, principally considering the highest (p < 0.05) parasite density from skin (10.7/mm² x 15.5/mm²), the place where the vetor L. longipalpis takes its blood meal, compared with those from lymph node (6.3/mm² x 8.3/mm²) and viscera (1.4/mm²x 5.3/mm²).

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Immune response dynamics and Lutzomyia longipalpis exposure characterize a biosignature of visceral leishmaniasis susceptibility in a canine cohort

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽

10.1371/journal.pntd.0009137 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. e0009137

Author(s):

Manuela da Silva Solcà ◽

Maiara Reis Arruda ◽

Bruna Martins Macedo Leite ◽

Tiago Feitosa Mota ◽

Miriam Flores Rebouças ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Response ◽

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Parasite Load ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Response Dynamics ◽

Before And After ◽

One Year

Background Reports have shown correlations between the immune response to vector saliva and Leishmaniasis outcome. We followed dogs in an endemic area for two years characterizing resistance or susceptibility to canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) according to Leishmania infantum diagnosis and clinical development criteria. Then, we aimed to identify a biosignature based on parasite load, serum biological mediators’ interactions, and vector exposure intensity associated with CVL resistance and susceptibility. Methodology/Principal findings A prospective two-year study was conducted in an area endemic for CVL. Dogs were evaluated at 6-month intervals to determine infection, clinical manifestations, immune profile, and sandfly exposure. CVL resistance or susceptibility was determined upon the conclusion of the study. After two years, 78% of the dogs were infected with L. infantum (53% susceptible and 47% resistant to CVL). Susceptible dogs presented higher splenic parasite load as well as persistence of the parasite during the follow-up, compared to resistant ones. Susceptible dogs also displayed a higher number of correlations among the investigated biological mediators, before and after infection diagnosis. At baseline, anti-saliva antibodies, indicative of exposure to the vector, were detected in 62% of the dogs, reaching 100% in one year. Higher sandfly exposure increased the risk of susceptibility to CVL by 1.6 times (CI: 1.11–2.41). We identified a discriminatory biosignature between the resistant and susceptible dogs assessing splenic parasite load, interaction of biological mediators, PGE2 serum levels and intensity of exposure to sandfly. All these parameters were elevated in susceptible dogs compared to resistant animals. Conclusions/Significance The biosignature identified in our study reinforces the idea that CVL is a complex multifactorial disease that is affected by a set of factors which are correlated and, for a better understanding of CVL, should not be evaluated in an isolated way.

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Dogs as a model for chemotherapy of Chagas disease and Leishmaniasis

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612826666201228142703 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 ◽

Author(s):

Marta de Lana ◽

Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti

Keyword(s):

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Chagas Disease ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Parasite Load ◽

Parasite Clearance ◽

Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Leishmania Chagasi ◽

Clinical Recovery ◽

Therapeutic Results ◽

New Treatments

Background: Dogs are natural reservoir of Chagas disease (CD) and Leishmaniasis and have been used for studies of these infections as they develop different clinical forms of these diseases similar to humans. Objective: This revision describes publications in dog model relative to CD and Leishmaniasis chemotherapy. Methods: The search of articles was based in PubMed, Scopus and MESH using the keywords: dog, Trypanosoma cruzi, treatment (T. cruzi chemotherapy analysis) in addition to dog, Leishmania chagasi, Leishmania infantum, canine visceral leishmaniasis, treatment (Leishmania chemotherapy evaluation). Results: Benznidazole and nifurtimox were used as reference in the treatment of CD and associated with other compounds. Eleven out of the fifteen studies have authors from the same team, using similar protocols and post-treatment evaluations, which assured more reproducibility and credibility. Twenty Leishmaniasis studies, especially in visceral leishmaniasis, presenting at least one parasitological analysis tested in distinct monochemotherapy and polychemotherapy approaches were accessed. Data demonstrated that polychemotherapy was more effective in improving the clinical signs and parasitism control. Conclusion: The benefits of treatment in terms of reducing or eliminating lesions and/or cardiac dysfunctions were demonstrated at acute and/or chronic phases relative to parasite load and/or the T. cruzi strain resistance to treatment. BZ presented better therapeutic results than the two EBI compounds evaluated. Although treatment of the canine visceral leishmaniasis was not able to induce complete parasite clearance, it can improve clinical recovery. Thus, the dog is a good model for CD and Leishmaniasis studies of chemotherapy and may be indicated for pre-clinical trials of new treatments.

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Prevalence and Associated Factors of Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis in an Endemic Area of Mato Grosso, Brazil

Acta Scientiae Veterinariae ◽

10.22456/1679-9216.81301 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 44 (1) ◽

pp. 6

Author(s):

Mahyumi Fujimori ◽

Arleana Do Bom Parto Ferreira de Almeida ◽

Álvaro Felipe Lima Ruy Dias ◽

Juliana Yuki Rodrigues ◽

Luciano Nakazato ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Canine Leishmaniasis ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Prevalence Rates ◽

Mato Grosso ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Endemic Areas

Background: Canine visceral leishmaniasis is a chronic and severe disease of great interest to global public health. In Brazil, the main species causing visceral leishmaniasis is Leishmania chagasi [syn. Leishmania infantum], which is transmitted by sandflies of the species Lutzomyia longipalpis and Lu. cruzi. This study aimed to determine the risk factors and prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis in dogs residing in endemic areas of the municipality of Várzea Grande, Mato Grosso.Material, Methods & Results: The study was conducted in the Várzea Grande neighbourhoods Jardim Eldorado, Parque Sabiá and São Mateus, which are located in the Brazilian Cerrado region and are endemic for visceral leishmaniasis. The Várzea Grande is a mostly commercial and industrial municipality and relies on subsistence farming. To describe the general characteristics of the dog population and housing environment, an interview was carried out with the dog owners in each household. This interview addressed local demographics and the identification of dogs to establish epidemiological aspects of canine illness and risk factors for infection. The dogs were examined and physically restrained for blood collection by jugular venipuncture. For serological testing, a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used. A Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test was used to identify associations between independent variables and the seroprevalence of dogs with anti-Leishmania antibodies. It were collected blood from 521 animals, including 160 belonging to Jardim Eldorado, 129 to Parque Sabiá and 232 to São Mateus. Of these animals, 120 were reactive by ELISA, with a prevalence of 23.0%. There was no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05) according to gender, age, racial definition, origin, time with family, presence of ectoparasites, or the presence of people with skin wounds at home or on other pets. The major risk factor for canine infection was fur length; dogs with short fur were 2.2 times more likely to be infected than dogs with long fur.Discussion: The prevalence of canine leishmaniasis in endemic areas was found to be similar to studies in Cuiaba, a city in Várzea Grande, which also included neighbourhoods endemic for visceral leishmaniasis as study areas. Other studies have shown prevalence rates that differ from those found in this study. This difference may either be because the neighbourhoods in this study had already experienced outbreaks of the disease or because serum samples were cross-reactive with other trypanosomatids. While infection was more readily detected in dogs with clinical signs, asymptomatic dogs with anti-Leishmania antibodies were found in greater numbers, which is consistent with the literature. Hair length was the only factor associated with canine leishmaniasis in this study; short-haired animals were most at risk of contracting the disease because they had more skin exposure to sandflies during blood feeding. In conclusion, endemic districts of Várzea Grande had high prevalence rates of canine visceral leishmaniasis, and a short length coat was associated with infection.

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Description of six autochthonous cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis diagnosed in Pedregulho (São Paulo, Brazil)

Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária ◽

10.1590/s1984-29612015025 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 216-219

Author(s):

Cássia Regina de Abreu ◽

Ana Cláudia Parpinelli ◽

Romeika Reis de Lima ◽

Luis Gustavo Gosuen Gonçalves Dias ◽

Lucas de Freitas Pereira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

Sand Fly ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

São Paulo ◽

Leishmania Chagasi ◽

The City ◽

Degrees Of Severity

Visceral leishmaniasis is an infectious disease of chronic, emerging and zoonotic nature that presents various degrees of severity. In Brazil, this illness is caused by Leishmania infantum (Leishmania chagasi), which is transmitted by the bite of the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis, and dogs are its main reservoir. Given the increasing spread of this disease across Brazil, the aim of this study was to report on six cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis, diagnosed in June 2013, in the city of Pedregulho, State of São Paulo, considered to be a non-endemic area and free of phlebotomine sand flies. The diagnosis was based on clinical signs of the patients and additional tests (serological and parasitological). It was concluded that the diagnosis of leishmaniasis is complex because the clinical signs are similar to other systemic diseases, thus justifying the importance of parasitological test of bone marrow, considered "gold standard", in the confirmation of the disease. In addition, the area was not, until now, considered risk place, despite notification.

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