Country-Level Canine Leishmaniosis Risk: A Literature Review, 2019-2023.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Dogs are the primary reservoir for Leishmania infantum, a zoonotic pathogen causing severe disease in humans and canines.
• International dog movement facilitates the spread of Leishmania infantum into non-endemic regions, posing a public health risk.
• Accurate assessment of canine leishmaniosis risk requires knowledge of the Leishmania status of countries visited by dogs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a centralized, country-level information source on leishmaniosis risk.
• To support veterinary and public health professionals in assessing canine leishmaniosis risk.
• To inform public health actions related to the international movement of dogs.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature review of canine leishmaniosis, Leishmania infantum, and sandfly distribution from 2019-2023.
• Development of a standardized scoring system to categorize countries by leishmaniosis risk.
• Assignment of risk categories, from 'no evidence of risk' to 'high risk', for each country.

Main Results:

• 91 countries were classified as moderate or high risk for canine leishmaniosis.
• 107 countries were categorized as low risk or having no evidence of risk.
• Data availability for risk assessment was limited for 44 countries.

Conclusions:

• The review provides a valuable centralized resource for canine leishmaniosis risk assessment.
• Enhanced surveillance, particularly systematic serosurveillance in dogs, is recommended.
• Improved reporting, including Leishmania species in human disease data, would benefit future assessments.