Canine leishmaniosis

Canine visceral leishmaniosis (CVL) is an infectious disease of zoonotic potential, caused by protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania. Common clinical manifestations of canine visceral leishmaniosis include decrease of appetite, progressive weight loss, exercise intolerance, peripheral lymph node and spleen enlargement, chronic renal and liver disease, muscle, atrophy, polyarthritis and others. Because the Polish literature in the field contains no information on leishmaniosis in animals the recognised case of this disease is presented. Homeless mongrel, intact female dog, 3 years of age was brought to a veterinary clinic because of apathy, and generalised dermatologic lesions to perform routine examination. Because therapeutic effect of primarily recognised scabies was unsatisfactory, the skin samples from ear margins, trunk and lesion of the area of the left gluteal region for histopatologic examination were taken. Due to suspicion of leishmaniosis, fine-needle aspiration biopsy of lymph nodes, skin lesions, ocular discharge and imprint samples from skin lesion were performed, and tissue collected were examined under optical microscopy for identification of Leishmania amastigotes. To confirm cytologic diagnosis, blood samples for serological tests (enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay-ELISA; indirect immunofluorescence assay test-IFAT) were taken. Based on physical examination, histopatology, cytopathology and serology, canine visceral leishmaniosis was finally diagnosed.