Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (Sep 2024)

Presence of Leishmania sp. amastigotes in the reproductive tract of dogs with visceral leishmaniasis

  • Marla de Oliveira D’Esquivel,
  • Vanessa Paulino da Cruz Veira,
  • Daniel Moreira de Avelar,
  • Érika Monteiro Michalsky,
  • Nathália Cristina Lima Pereira,
  • Consuelo Latorre Fortes-Dias,
  • Edelberto Santos Dias

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0237-2023
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 57

Abstract

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ABSTRACT Background: Although canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) transmission primarily occurs through the bite of phlebotomine sand flies infected with Leishmania infantum, alternative routes may exist. Methods: Thirty-four dogs diagnosed with CVL were sampled for parasitological investigation in tissues from the reproductive tract. Results: Amastigotes of Leishmania sp. were present in 79% (27/34) of the reproductive system samples, with distinct infection rates depending on the tissue. Conclusions: Our data confirms that alternative routes, such as horizontal and vertical transmissions, should be considered in the epidemiological chain of CVL.

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