Clinical, hematological and biochemical profiles of dogs with Leishmania infantum
Montargil, Stela Maria ArgôloCarvalho, Fábio SantosOliveira, Gabriela Mota Sena deMunhoz, Alexandre DiasCarlos, Renata Santiago AlbertoWenceslau, Amauri Arias
Background: Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis is a zoonosis affecting dogs worldwide. Its epidemiological importance is observed in Brazil, wherein the largest number of cases originates in the Northeast Region of the country. The disease is caused by the etiologic agent Leishmania chagasi (= infantum) and transmitted by an invertebrate form of sand fly of the genus Lutzomia. Domestic dogs are one of the main reservoirs. The aim of this study was to use molecular analysis to diagnose dogs naturally infected with Leishmania spp. in the city of Jequié, State of Bahia, Brazil, and to describe the clinical signs, as well as the hematological and biochemical profiles associated with these cases.Materials, Methods & Results: In the present study, 198 dogs underwent physical examination and had blood samples collected for hematological, biochemical and PCR tests for Leishmania infantum. Two primers have been used for the molecular diagnostic technique (PCR): first, the ITS-1 specific to Leishmania species followed by the PCR-RFVL to identify the genus; and second, the primer pair RV1/RV2 specific to the Leishmania infantum species in all the samplesAmong the 198 samples collected, four animals tested positive for the Leishmania infantum via PCR, two of which were symptomatic and two asymptomatic. Among the symptomatic animals, animal one presented with diffuse alopecia, ulcerated lesions on the tip of the ears, ophthalmopathy, onychogryphosis, cachexia, anemia and neutrophilic leukocytosis, and animal two presented with alopecia, pustules, crusting, diffusely-spread erythema, anemia, hyperproteinemia, thrombocytopenia and azotemia. Among the two asymptomatic dogs, one animal had anemia, hyperproteinemia, thrombocytopenia, leukocytosis with neutrophilia, and azotemia; the other animals laboratory findings revealed hyperproteinemia and leukocytosis with neutrophilia.[...](AU)
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