Visceral leishmaniasis: Presentation in dogs of Salto City, Uruguay

Abstract

Canine visceral leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania infantum, is a chronic and endemic zoonotic disease in some regions of the world. The biological cycle is complex and hosts and vectors participate. The clinical manifestations stand out for being very broad and variable. The aim of the study was to analyze the presentation of visceral leishmaniasis in dogs seropositive to L. infantum in the city of Salto, Uruguay. A sampling was carried out in a subpopulation of dogs that had previously detected the presence of anti-Leishmania antibodies and the identification data and the clinical evaluation were recorded. The study was carried out during the period from August 2017 to March 2018. The dog population analyzed was composed of 67.44% males, with 55.91% mixed race and an average age of 4.97 years, being 46.51% between 2 and 4 years. A total of 86% of dogs were found with clinical signs, including a variety of skin lesions, thinning, mucous membrane pallor and lymphadenomegaly. The dermatological signs were mainly represented by desquamative dermatitis, onychogriphosis and nasal hyperkeratosis. Although a set of frequent clinical signs is recognized, the presentation variability of canine visceral leishmaniasis leads to include it in the differential diagnosis of conditions with compatible manifestations, mainly in epidemiologically compromised areas.