Leishmaniosis: preliminary results of seroprevalence in dogs in Slovenia

Canine Leishmaniasis (CanL) and human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cause protozoa from genus Leishmania. The most important species is L. infantum. Vectors are sand flies from Psychodidae family, subfamily Phlebotominae. CanL is presented by skin simptoms (nodules on the muzzle, nose, pinnae, exfoliative dermatitis with onichogryphosis) and general health changes (anorexia, anemia, muscle atrophy, poliarthropathy, generalised limphadenopathy, conjunctivitis, blepharitis, anterior uveitis, keratoconjunctivitis and spontaneous nasal bleeding). Serum specimens of 110 dogs, living in different parts of Slovenia, were collected from mid of year 2014 till May 2016 and tested by immunofluorescent method. Six positives were found (living in Dutovlje, Ljubljana, Krize, Bistrica ob Dravi, Krizevci pri Ljutomeru and Lenart v Slovenskih goricah). Three specimen, sent from Ankaran, Ljubljana and Dob- Krtina, were marked as suspicious. Number of tested specimen is too low that authors would be able to estimate CanL seroprevalence in Slovenia. Nevertheless, L. infantum was indirectly proven. Since presence of important vectors was reported from slovenian Istria region recently, authors would like to stress the matter of time untill the first endemic CanL or VL case in Slovenia will be reported.