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Leishmania Canine
Leishmaniasis, caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania infantum (= L. chagasi, in America), is a sandfly-borne human and canine disease.
Leishmania infantum infected dogs constitute the main reservoir of the parasite. Canine visceral leishmaniasis is widespread in countries of the Mediterranean basin, Asia and Latin America. In addition, imported cases of infection are occasionally reported in Northern Europe and North America.
Protozoa of the genus Leishmania are dimorphic obligate intracellular parasites. They are transmitted as flagellated forms (promastigotes) by the bite of several species of phlebotomine sandflies. The females take blood only from vertebrates. Once inoculated into the skin of the mammalian host, the promastigotes are engulfed by macrophages, in which they transform to amastigotes, an aflagellated form. Inside the macrophages the amastigotes divide and spread to different organs, especially the bone marrow, lymph nodes, skin, spleen, liver, and kidneys.
Exposure to bites of infected sandflies can result in an asymptomatic period that may progress to symptomatic infection or remain cryptic. However, both symptomatic and asymptomatic animals harbor the parasite and are infective to sandfly vectors.
Clinical symptoms may appear months to several years after infection. The clinical picture varies widely; symptoms of leishmaniasis include skin lesions (dry exfoliative dermatitis, ulcerations and alopecia), weight loss, local or generalized lymphadenopathy, ocular and periocular lesions, renal failure, epistaxis, lameness, and anemia. Occasionally, some dogs develop chronic diarrhea or liver failure.
Polyclonal hyperproteinemia is observed in most dogs. Some animals show leukopenia, whereas others develop leukocytosis. In animals with renal lesions, increased plasma urea and creatinine, proteinuria, and hematuria are common.
Species | Disease | Symptoms | Mechanism of Infection |
Leishmania infantum | Canine visceral leishmaniasis | Skin lessions, loss of weight, lymphadenopathy ocular lesions, renal failure, epistaxis, lameness and anemia Hepatosplenomegaly, hypergammaglobulinemia and leukopenia | Transmission by female sandflies of the genera Phlebotomus (Old World) and Lutzomvia (New World) |
Infections may be diagnosed by:
- Microscopy: determination of the pathogen in colored Giemsa-stained smears
- PCRSerology: determination of specific antibodies based on the ELISA-technique (screening) or IFA technique
Leishmania Canine IgG
The NovaTec Leishmania Canine IgG is intended for the qualitative determination of IgG-specific antibodies against Leishmania in dog serum.
Antigens:
Purified Leishmania antigens
Specific Performance Characteristics
Intraassay | Interassay | Sensitivity % | Specificity % | |||||
n | Mean | CV% | n | Mean | CV% | |||
IgG | 11 | 1.6 | 6.1 | 4 | 1.54 | 7.1 | 95 | >95 |
Order information:
ELISA | Number of Determinations | Product Number |
Leishmania Canine IgG | 96 | LEIG0310V |
