CANINE LEISMANIASIS

Canine Leishmaniasis


  • Serious zoonotic protozoal infection of man and animals.
  • Cause : intracellular protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania.
  • Transmission is predominantly by sand-fly bites.
  • Signs : the visceral form is more common in the dog and 90% of dogs have cutaneous or mucocutaneous involvement.
  • Specific signs include chronic weight loss, lymphadenopathy, alopecia and exfoliative dermatitis, nodular skin lesions, chronic renal failure   and epistaxis.
  • Diagnosis : demonstration of the parasite in macrophages in lymph node or bone marrow aspirates and serology or PCR .
  • Prognosis : relapses usually occur.

         Presenting signs

  • Cutaneous lesions - periocular alopecia extends to nasal skin and ears. Exfoliative dermatitis, nodular dermatitis, ulcerative dermatitis generalized particularly involving extremities .
  • Claw abnormalities.
  • Progressive weight loss.
  • Anemia .
  • Hyperkeratosis .
  • Polyarthritis .
  • Lethargy.
  • Polydipsia /polyuria (renal failure).
  • Ulcerative and nodular dermatitis.
  • Diarrhea .
  • Abdominal distension.
  Acute presentation

  • Epistaxis .
 Geographic incidence

  • Infection rates can reach 40% in endemic areas.
  • Infection endemic in areas between 40°N and 40°S in Africa, South America, Europe and Asia. Outside these areas, occurs in dogs that have traveled through or are imported from endemic areas.
  • Countries adjoining the Mediterranean, including Southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Greece) and North Africa, Central and South America.
  • Reports from the Netherlands suggest that up to 0.23% of dogs taken on vacation to the countries bordering the Mediterranean and Portugal return with leishmaniasis .
  • South-East USA, Asia (including India, Central Asia, China) and reported in Senegal, the Gambia and Sudan.
  • Increasing prevalence in non-traveled Foxhounds resident in previously non-endemic areas of North America and Canada. Not present in Australia.