Is the cat an important reservoir host for visceral leishmaniasis? A systematic review with meta-analysis

Abstract

In recent years feline leishmanial infections (FLI) have been studied more than ever before in various parts of the world. However, evidence-based knowledge on FLI has remained unavailable. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the status of felines infected by Leishmania spp. worldwide. Data were extracted from 10 available databases over the period of 1982 to 2017. Overall, 78 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were used for data extraction in this systematic review. The overall FLI prevalence by both serological and molecular methods was estimated at 10% (95% CI: 8%-14%). In Italy, both the seroprevalence (24 %) and PCR prevalence (21 %) were found to be higher than in other countries. The most common diagnostic test used was the indirect fluorescent antibody test (38.5%). Studies on mixed-breed felines were more common than those on other breeds, while the most common parasite species was L. infantum (63%). Our findings suggest that cats act as primary and/or secondary reservoir hosts in the transmission of the Leishmania spp. to humans and also to dogs, by sandflies, at least in endemic foci. Moreover, available data confirm the enzootic stability situation of FLI in several countries including some in Europe.

Leishmaniasis in cat shelters: A serological, molecular and entomological study

“…This fact may be true for cats, but it is still not clear, and there is no consensus about the best organ and tissue for Leishmania spp. DNA detection on cats by molecular methods (Asfaram et al, 2019;Coura et al, 2018;Silveira-Neto et al, 2015;Spada et al, 2013), mainly, because studies that better define the course of the disease in cats and their immune response against Leishmania spp. infection are lacking (Pennisi & Persichetti, 2018).…”

“…This change has lead to an important development on the feline medicine science and, along with the improvement on diagnostic methods, has increased the number of case reports about feline leishmaniasis (FL) (Pennisi, 2015;Pennisi et al, 2015). Nowadays, FL has been reported mostly in South American, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries (Asfaram, Fakhar, & Teshnizi, 2019;Pennisi et al, 2015).…”

“…Although on the last 20 years more cases of FL were reported, many aspects of the disease in cats are still unclear (Asfaram et al, 2019;Pennisi et al, 2015;Pennisi & Persichetti, 2018). Even though the first report on infection by Leishmania spp.…”

“…Nevertheless, cats infected by Leishmania spp. have been increasingly described in several endemic areas in the Old and New World, and Brazil is responsible by the greatest number of these studies (Asfaram et al, 2019;Pennisi, 2015;Pennisi et al, 2015). The prevalence rate on Brazil is estimated to be up to 8% considering both molecular and serological surveys (Asfaram et al, 2019), and three Leishmania species have been described infecting cats on the country (Schubach et al, 2004;Souza et al, 2005;Vides et al, 2011).…”

Clinical, haematological and biochemical findings in tigers infected by Leishmania infantum

“…In endemic areas, L. infantum is maintained by several mammal species in nature (Roque and Jansen, 2014) and the role of wildlife species (e.g., red fox, golden jackal, gray wolf, hare, black rat) has been suggested in a series of studies (Millan et al, 2014;Otranto et al, 2015). After being long regarded as resistant, cats have gain the interest of the scienti c community as hosts of L. infantum, mainly in endemic areas (Iatta et al, 2019;Asfaram et al, 2019). Clinical signs compatible with feline leishmaniasis (FeL) include lymphadenomegaly, splenomegaly, weight loss, anorexia, as well as cutaneous, mucocutaneous and ocular lesions (Pennisi et al, 2018).…”