First detection of Leishmania infantum DNA within the brain of naturally infected dogs.

Vet Parasitol

UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista, College of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Applied Pathology (LApap), Araçatuba, SP, Brazil. Electronic address:

Published: August 2014

AI Article Synopsis

  • Visceral leishmaniasis is caused by the protozoan Leishmania infantum and can lead to neurological issues in infected dogs.
  • A study aimed to detect L. infantum DNA in the brains of 20 naturally infected dogs using real-time PCR.
  • The research found the presence of parasite DNA in all brain regions examined, suggesting new insights into how visceral leishmaniasis affects the nervous system.

Article Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis is an anthropozoonosis caused by the protozoan Leishmania infantum (L. chagasi). In dogs, the disease presents with systemic manifestations, including neurological disorders. There are rare reports of the presence of the parasite in the central nervous system of infected dogs, and some evidences of inflammatory lesions and the breakdown of cerebral barriers have been described. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of L. infantum DNA in five specific areas of the brains of 20 naturally infected dogs by real-time PCR. For the first time, the presence of parasite DNA was detected and quantified in the brains of naturally infected dogs, in all evaluated regions. These data provide strong evidence of the presence of the Leishmania parasite in the nervous milieu and contribute to a new perspective of the pathogenesis of visceral leishmaniasis.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2014.05.015DOI Listing

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