Visceral leishmaniosis caused by Leishmania infantum (L. infantum) is an important zoonotic disease endemic in the Mediterranean region. Domestic dogs and other wild canines are the main reservoir hosts for the parasite, while domestic cats (Felis catus) may be carriers of L. infantum, and play a role as secondary reservoirs for the parasite. In the present study, serological (DAT), parasitological (microscopic smears and culture) and molecular methods (nested PCR) were used to evaluate infection with L. infantum in 103 stray cats collected from villages of Meshkin Shahr district, located in Ardabil province which is a well-known endemic region of human and canine visceral leishmaniosis in Iran. Overall, 25 out of 103 cats (24.27%) displayed anti-Leishmania antibodies with different titers. Amastigote forms of the parasite were detected in microscopic smears of the spleen of a cat with high anti-Leishmania antibodies using DAT. L. infantum was identified on microscopic slides by nested PCR, and the results were confirmed by sequence analysis. Based on the high rate of seropositive cats in this study, we conclude that cats may have an important role in the maintenance of L. infantum in the endemic areas of zoonotic visceral leishmaniosis in Iran.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2017.03.010DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

visceral leishmaniosis
16
leishmania infantum
8
endemic areas
8
microscopic smears
8
nested pcr
8
leishmaniosis iran
8
anti-leishmania antibodies
8
infantum
7
cats
6
feline leishmaniosis
4

Similar Publications

Background Sustainable elimination of Visceral leishmaniasis as a public health problem requires the contribution of various stakeholders led by governments efforts. An estimation of the contribution of different stakeholders was conducted focusing on the cost of diagnosis, treatment and management of visceral leishmaniasis in a hospital setting. Objectives The study aimed to estimate the cost of diagnosis, treatment and management of visceral leishmaniasis in a public hospital in Ethiopia, when including the contributions of the government and other stakeholders.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Visceral leishmaniasis is a systemic disease that affects various internal organs and represents the most severe and fatal form of leishmaniasis. Conventional treatment presents significant challenges, such as prolonged management in hospital settings, high toxicity, and an increasing growing number of cases of resistance. In previous studies, our research group demonstrated the effective and selective activity of the 2-amino-thiophene derivative SB-83 in preclinical models of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by a protozoan of the genus Leishmania, which has visceral and cutaneous forms. The symptoms of leishmaniasis include high fever and weakness, and the cutaneous infection also causes lesions under the skin. The drugs used to treat leishmaniasis have become less effective due to the resistance mechanisms of the protozoa.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Occurrence of Leishmania spp. in phlebotomine sand flies and dogs in Guelma region, North-eastern Algeria.

Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports

January 2025

Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy; Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Electronic address:

Leishmania spp. are sand fly-borne parasitic protozoa of worldwide distribution that may severely affect the health and welfare of dogs as well as of other mammalian species, including humans. Algeria is among the most affected countries, counting several cases of Leishmania infantum infection in humans and dogs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Detection and isolation of Leishmania infantum from natural infected dog in Türkiye.

Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports

January 2025

Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kirikkale University, Kirikkale, Türkiye. Electronic address:

Some clinical signs such as cachexia, alopecia, exfoliative dermatitis, hair loss, and swollen lymph nodes were observed in a one-year-old crossbred male dog living in a rural area of Kirikkale province, Türkiye, was presented to the veterinary clinic by its owner. Anaemia, leucopenia, hyperglobulinemia, and bilirubinemia were detected. Seropositivity was detected using Leishmania IgG/IgM Rapid Test.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!