Autochthonous Outbreak and Expansion of Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis, Uruguay

Abstract

We report an outbreak of canine visceral leishmaniasis in Uruguay. Blood specimens from 11/45 dogs tested positive for Leishmania spp. Specimens of Lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies were captured; typing revealed Leishmania infantum. Our findings document an expansion of visceral leishmaniasis to southern South America and risk for vectorborne transmission to humans.

Keywords

• Leishmania infantum
• Uruguay
• canine visceral leishmaniasis
• dogs
• sand flies
• vector-borne infections