Work

Visceral Leishmaniasis in Stray Dogs From Kermanshah Area, Iran: Seroprevalence and Association With Clinical and Hematological Alterations

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is responsible for mortality, especially among children in developing countries. Stray dogs are a reservoir for VL infections, and asymptomatic infected dogs can act as a source of human infection. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of VL in stray dogs from the Kermanshah area and to evaluate the clinical and hematological alterations in dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum. Methods: Ninety-two stray dogs aged 1-8 years were sampled. Serum samples were evaluated for anti-L. infantum antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All positive samples were titrated using the direct agglutination test (DAT). Results: Eleven dogs (11.95%) were infected with L. infantum. Only four (36.36%) showed clinical signs among the seropositive dogs. Three infected patients had anemia, while two had hemoconcentration. According to the blood count, most alterations were observed in the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), band neutrophils, and lymphocytes. Conclusion: The high frequency of asymptomatic dogs indicates that these reservoirs must be considered the principal source of VL infection in this area. Frequent surveillance and monitoring of canine VL (CVL) is critical to decrease the disease incidence in humans, especially in stray dogs.

Source: Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine

DOI: 10.32598/ijvm.19.3.1005526

Authors: Ali Heydari, Hamidreza Shokrani, Alireza Rocky

Institution: Lorestan University

Language: English

Topic: Research on Leishmaniasis Studies

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services