Content
- Leishmaniasis - how is it spread?
- Leishmaniasis - how to detect?
- Diagnosis
- Leishmaniasis - how to treat?
- Leshmaniasis - how to avoid it?
- against the mosquito
- Directed to dogs
- Immunization
- Euthanasia?
Canine visceral leishmaniasis (LVC), also called Calazar, is a disease caused by a protozoan of the genus Leishmania that affects dogs, which are considered the main reservoirs in the urban cycle of the disease, through which humans can also become infected, thus being classified as a zoonosis.
CVL is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito belonging to the sandfly family. This vector is popularly known as sand fly, sand fly, birigui or armadillos, and is widely distributed in Brazil as it is a country with a tropical climate that allows its reproduction.
LVC has been gaining notoriety in recent years due to its fast and severe growth, along with the increase in the number of infected animals and humans.
Leishmaniasis - how is it spread?
LVC is mainly transmitted by the mosquito carrier bite of the protozoan that is in the form of a promastigote and this is transmitted to the dog at the moment of the bite. Once inside the animal's organism, the protozoan will induce a series of reactions by the immune system and, later, its proliferation until the beginning of the clinical signs of the disease.
When the mosquito bites an infected dog and, soon after, it bites another dog or even a human, transmission of the protozoan occurs and, consequently, of CVL (at this stage the protozoan will be in the amastigote form). It is important to note that once transmission occurs, the protozoan will always remain in the body of the animal.
Leishmaniasis - how to detect?
CVL is a disease that can present numerous clinical signs in the dog, as the action of the protozoan is present in practically all the organs of the body. However, there are a number of signs that are more frequent and usually suggest a suspicion of the disease, they are:
- Periocular alopecia: hair loss around the eyes (spectacle-shaped alopecia)
- Alopecia/ear tip wound
- Onychogryphosis (exaggerated nail growth)
- Intense peeling of the skin
- progressive weight loss
- Increased abdomen volume (due to liver and spleen growth)
- Apathy
- Lack of appetite
- Long-lasting diarrhea.
- Lymphadenomegaly (enlarged lymph node size)
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of CVL must be made exclusively by a Veterinarian, who will take into account the general clinical status of the animal, together with laboratory tests that may indicate the presence or not of the protozoan in the organism.
Leishmaniasis - how to treat?
The treatment of CVL has been much discussed, not only in the veterinary environment, but also in the legal environment, as it is a zoonosis, and this disease in humans is serious as well as in animals. Also, if not treated correctly, it can lead to death in a short time.
Treatment is based on a combination of medications that aim to alleviate the symptoms caused by the disease, as well as improve the patient's general condition. Currently available on the market are so-called pentavalent antimonials such as methylglucamine antimoniate, which are medications that directly affect the protozoan, helping to control it a lot. It is noteworthy that for CVL there is only a clinical cure, that is, once the treatment has been stipulated, the animal returns to its healthy state, but it will always be a carrier of the disease, as there is no treatment capable of totally eliminating the organism's protozoan.
Leshmaniasis - how to avoid it?
The only way to prevent Leishmaniasis is avoid mosquito bite vector of the disease. For this, it is necessary to adopt chemical and management methods, which together will reduce the risk of disease transmission.
against the mosquito
It is recommended to apply insecticides with residual action in areas close to homes and kennels, such as deltamethrin and cypermethrin, every six months. Environmental care must also be taken, avoiding the accumulation of organic matter and reducing the micro-habitat favorable to the mosquito. The placement of fine screens in houses and kennels is also a measure that must be taken in endemic areas. If it also indicates the planting of Citronella in the backyard or near the house, this plant gives off an odor that repels the mosquito and is very effective in prevention.
Directed to dogs
The use of topical insecticides in the form of collars, pipettes or sprays is highly effective in protecting the dog against mosquitoes, in addition to being easy to apply and affordable. The use of collars impregnated with deltamethrin (Scalibor ®) has shown good results in combating the transmission of the disease. In addition to topical insecticides, it is recommended in endemic areas that animals are not exposed and avoid taking trips at dusk and at night, as these are the times of greatest activity of mosquitoes that transmit the disease.
Immunization
The prevention of CVL by immunization through specific vaccines is a great preventive aid and has become common in recent times. The CVL vaccine prevents the protozoan from completing its cycle, thus eliminating the course of transmission and consequently the development of clinical signs. Some commercial forms of the vaccine are already available on the market, such as Leishmune®, Leish-Tec® and LiESAp, all of which already have scientific proof of their preventive action.
Euthanasia?
The euthanasia of dogs infected with LVC is widely discussed and involves issues such as science, ethics and animal welfare. Currently, it is already known that euthanasia as a form of control is totally ineffective in the control and prevention of CVL, with the treatment, immunization and use of mosquito repellents being the most correct, ethical and effective way to control the disease.
Tip: Access this article and learn about all the most common diseases in dogs.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.