Leishmaniasis in imported dogs in the United Kingdom; a potential human health hazard

Abstract

This paper describes the clinical and pathological features of leishmaniasis in three dogs imported into the U.K. Principal signs were wasting, lymphomegaly, keratoconjunctivitis, and extensive skin lesions that included exfoliative dermatitis and alopecia. Autopsy showed widespread chronic inflammatory lesions throughout lymphoid and other tissues associated with parasitized macrophages. The paper discusses the potential human health hazard posed by a zoonosis characterized by non‐specific signs and prolonged periods of quiescence. Euthanasia is recommended for cases positively diagnosed as leishmaniasis.

Estudo histológico e imunoistoquímico do sistema nervoso central de cães naturalmente infectados por Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi

“…This importance comes from some facts: visceral leishmaniasis is more prevalent in the canine population than in the human population, human cases are normally preceded by canine cases, and dogs present a greater amount of parasites in the skin than humans, which favors the infestation of vectors 3,4,7 . Dog infection usually causes a chronic systemic disease, which is characterized by long periods of irregular fever, anemia, progressive weight loss, and cachexia in the terminal stage of the disease 1,2,3,4,7,8,9,10 . Infected animals can also present onychogryphosis, dermatological, ophtalmic, renal, and/or hepatic alterations, pneumonia, myocarditis, movement disorders, and hemorrhagic diathesis 1,2,4,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16 .…”

Papel da imunoistoquímica no diagnóstico das alterações oculares na leishmaniose tegumentar americana: relato clínico-patológico de cinco casos

“…As manifestações oculares da leishmaniose tegumentar americana mais comumente descritas na literatura são: lesões palpebrais (3,8,10) , conjuntivite (3,5) , blefarite (4,6,7) e uveíte (3) . A maior série de casos de alterações oculares na leishmaniose tegumentar americana encontrada na literatura brasileira foi publicada em 1953 3 .…”

“…Segundo Marback (3) , a ocorrência de lesões oculares na leishmaniose tegumentar americana foi descrita pela primeira vez por Pina em 1912. As mais comuns manifestações clínicas da doença são: blefarite, conjuntivite, ceratoconjuntivite e lesão erosiva palpebral (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8) . Outros tipos de manifestação oftalmológica são a simulação de dacriocistite, chalázio, tumores como ceratoacantoma e carcinoma basocelular, estenose do ducto lacrimo-nasal e uveíte (9)(10)(11) .…”

A case of autochthonous canine leishmaniasis in the Netherlands

“…When these cells rupture, free parasites infect other cells or are phagocytized, thereby spreading throughout the vertebrate host (23). The incubation period of VL ranges from a few months to several years (7,13,14,16,19) and VL is rarely found in animals younger than 6 months of age (5). When VL is diagnosed in dogs in non-endemic areas, it is usually in individuals which have visited or resided in endemic areas.…”

“…This is primarily of concern for dog breeders because bitches with VL apparently may be a source of infection for their pups, even in a sandfly-free environment. Concern has been expressed about the potential hazard to humans of contact with infected materials from canine skin lesions or exudates (7,13,14,18). Skin lesions occur in approximately 90 per cent of dogs with VL (11,18,21), and experimental and accidental transmission of leishmaniasis from dogs to humans by direct contact with infective lesions has been reported (2,15).…”