Dados do Trabalho

Título

Puppies born from mothers with visceral leishmaniasis evolve with anemia and reduced development.

Introdução

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a parasitic illness and in the New World the majority of the cases are due to Leishmania infantum infections. Dogs are considered the main domestic reservoir and transmission of Leishmania is traditionally considered as vector born. Conversely, vertical transmissions of Leishmania have been documented in dogs; however this route of transmission is not yet taken into account in Brazil, which reports 97% of VL cases in Latin America. We hypothesized that vertical transmission of Leishmania occurs in dogs in the endemic area of Natal.

Objetivo(s)

Thus, this study aimed to follow up and characterize evidence of Leishmania infection in puppies born of Leishmania infected mothers by serology, puppy development and hematological parameters.

Material e Métodos

Three pregnant female dogs were recruited by Zoonoses Control (CCZ) in Natal for euthanasia based on positive Leishmania serology and clinical evidence of VL. These female dogs were brought to a screened-sand fly free kennel at CCZ - Natal and allowed to labor. A total of 20 pups were born, with the loss of 2 dogs. The offspring (n=11 dogs) of non-infected dogs were used as controls. Comorbidities of mothers were analyzed by clinical examination and SNAP 4DX (Idexx), detecting serology against Ehrlichia spp, Anaplasma spp, and Dirofilaria immitis. Serial serology for Leishmania (ELISA), hemogram analysis and PCR for Leishmania were performed monthly.

Resultados e Conclusão

Seroconversion of puppies occurred around 7 to 9 months of age (in all 18 dogs). 66% of the dogs had reduced Erythrocytes, Hematocrit (HCT) and Hemoglobin (HGB) between 4 to 10 months old, while reduced platelets were seen in 39% of the dogs. The development of these puppies showed a reduced development (AUCmean 252) compared to control ones (AUCmean 780). In conclusion, dogs born from Leishmania infected mothers showed modest anti-Leishmania IgG, development impairment, and hematological alterations typically found in canine visceral leishmaniasis. These findings support an investigation for Leishmania vertical transmission and may be an important route to maintaining the parasite within the dog population without the presence of sand flies.

Palavras-chave

Canine visceral leishmaniasis, vertical transmission, co-infections, anemia