Abstract:

This study aimed to evaluate clinical signs related with canine leishmaniosis (CanL) and to determine their relation with serological results in the differential diagnosis of this disease in dog populations. A total of 253 dogs from houses and a dog shelter in Kuşadası, an endemic region for leishmaniosis, were investigated for clinical signs related to CanL. Sera collected from the study group were examined by indirect fluorescence antibody (IFA), whole ELISA and rK39 ELISA tests for the serological diagnosis. Popliteal lymph node aspiration materials were examined for the parasitological diagnosis. Clinical signs were separated into two groups as cutaneous and visceral signs and no clinical signs were observed in 51.7% (131/253) of the dogs, while 48.3% (122/253) of the dogs had at least one sign. A total of 42 dogs [29 (23.7%) in the symptomatic and 13 (9.9%) in the asymptomatic group] were diagnosed as CanL serologically and/or parasitologically. Two strains were isolated and identified as Leishmania infantum MON-1. There was no correlation between IFAT titers and the number of the clinical signs (P > 0.05; R square = 0.002). Weight loss was found to be the most common sign of CanL while epistaxis was the least common but specific sign. The seropositivity ratio of CanL is 16.6% (42/253) among dogs in the region and clinical signs were found to be helpful for suspecting CanL but at least one serological and/or parasitological method should be performed for the accurate and differential diagnosis in the dogs. Our findings also showed that the one-third of the dogs in an endemic area for CanL could be asymptomatic.

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