Tarantino C, Rossi G, Kramer L H, Perrucci S, Cringoli G, Macchioni G
Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56100 Pisa, Italy.
Vet Parasitol. 2001 Dec 3;102(1-2):77-83. doi: 10.1016/s0304-4017(01)00518-0.
Leishmania infantum, the agent of canine leishmaniasis in Mediterranean countries, and Neospora caninum, a recently recognized protozoal pathogen in dogs, were diagnosed in a 9-month-old Argentine Dogo dog. Both skin lesions and neurological signs were present. Histopathology of cutaneous lesions revealed a suppurative, diffuse dermatitis with numerous intracellular protozoa. Serology was positive for both L. infantum (1:640) and N. caninum (1:800). Double-label immunohistochemical staining of skin samples with hyperimmune serum from L. infantum-infected dogs was positive for protozoa within macrophages, while the polyclonal antibody specific for N. caninum showed positive reactions for protozoa in endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the infection with both protozoa. This is, to the authors' knowledge, the first case of simultaneous infection with L. infantum and N. caninum in a dog. It is possible that the immunosuppressive effects of Leishmania infection or long-term steroid therapy may have been a contributing factor to the development of N. caninum in this dog.
婴儿利什曼原虫是地中海国家犬类利什曼病的病原体，犬新孢子虫是一种最近才被认识的犬类原生动物病原体，在一只9个月大的阿根廷杜高犬身上被诊断出来。这只狗同时出现了皮肤病变和神经症状。皮肤病变的组织病理学检查显示为化脓性弥漫性皮炎，有大量细胞内原生动物。婴儿利什曼原虫（滴度为1:640）和犬新孢子虫（滴度为1:800）的血清学检测均呈阳性。用来自感染婴儿利什曼原虫的犬的超免疫血清对皮肤样本进行双重标记免疫组化染色，巨噬细胞内的原生动物呈阳性，而针对犬新孢子虫的多克隆抗体在内皮细胞和成纤维细胞中的原生动物呈阳性反应。透射电子显微镜（TEM）证实了两种原生动物的感染。据作者所知，这是首例犬同时感染婴儿利什曼原虫和犬新孢子虫的病例。利什曼原虫感染或长期使用类固醇治疗的免疫抑制作用可能是这只狗感染犬新孢子虫的一个促成因素。
