Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
Parasit Vectors. 2024 Aug 19;17(1):346. doi: 10.1186/s13071-024-06419-x.
Cats are now recognized as competent hosts for Leishmania infantum and a blood source for sand fly vectors. Although canine leishmaniosis (CanL) is endemic in Mediterranean Basin countries, large-scale epidemiological studies are lacking for feline leishmaniosis (FeL). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of L. infantum infections, associated risk factors, clinical signs, and clinicopathological abnormalities in domestic cat populations from six Mediterranean Basin countries.
From 2019 to 2022, blood and serum samples of cats (n = 2067) living in Italy (n = 300), Greece (n = 297), Portugal (n = 295), France (n = 231), Israel (n = 313), and Spain (n = 631) were collected along with animal data (i.e., age, sex, breed, housing conditions, and geographical origin), clinical signs, and laboratory blood test parameters. Cats were grouped according to their age as kittens (up to 1 year), young (older than 1 and younger than 7 years), mature (between 7 and 10 years), and senior (older than 10 years). Serum samples were tested for L. infantum by immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and blood samples of seropositive cats were tested for L. infantum kinetoplast deoxyribonucleic acid (kDNA). Viral infection by feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) was molecularly addressed in all cats enrolled. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the association between the risk of L. infantum infection and independent variables, and among co-infection of L. infantum with FIV and/or FeLV, clinical signs, and clinicopathological abnormalities.
Overall, 17.3% (358/2067) of cats scored positive for L. infantum by serological tests. Specifically, 24.7% were from Portugal, 23.2% from Greece, 16.6% from Israel, 15% from Spain, 13.3% from France, and 12.6% from Italy. Leishmania infantum DNA was detected in 15 seropositive animals. Housing condition and FIV infection proved to be risk factors for FeL. Leishmania seropositivity was significantly associated with weight loss, lymphadenomegaly, gingivostomatitis, and oral ulcers, as well as with reduced albumin and albumin/globulin ratio, increased total globulins and total proteins, leukocytosis, and thrombocytosis.
This study provides, for the first time, a large-scale epidemiological survey on FeL and its clinical presentation, revealing that L. infantum circulates among domestic cats, especially shelter/free-roaming and FIV-infected animals, living in CanL endemic countries of the Mediterranean Basin.
猫现在被认为是利什曼原虫的宿主，也是沙蝇传播媒介的血液来源。尽管犬利什曼病（CanL）在地中海盆地国家流行，但针对猫利什曼病（FeL）的大规模流行病学研究却很少。本研究旨在评估来自地中海盆地六个国家的家猫群体中利什曼原虫感染的流行率、相关危险因素、临床症状和临床病理异常。
2019 年至 2022 年，从意大利（n=300）、希腊（n=297）、葡萄牙（n=295）、法国（n=231）、以色列（n=313）和西班牙（n=631）的家猫（n=2067）中采集血液和血清样本，并收集动物数据（即年龄、性别、品种、饲养条件和地理来源）、临床症状和实验室血液检查参数。根据年龄将猫分为幼猫（1 岁以下）、幼猫（1 岁以上，7 岁以下）、成年猫（7-10 岁）和老年猫（10 岁以上）。通过免疫荧光抗体试验（IFAT）和酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）检测血清样本中的利什曼原虫，对血清阳性猫的血液样本进行利什曼原虫动基体脱氧核糖核酸（kDNA）检测。对所有纳入的猫进行猫免疫缺陷病毒（FIV）和猫白血病病毒（FeLV）的病毒感染分子检测。统计分析评估了利什曼原虫感染的风险与独立变量之间的关系，以及利什曼原虫与 FIV 和/或 FeLV 共同感染、临床症状和临床病理异常之间的关系。
总体而言，358/2067（17.3%）只猫通过血清学检测呈利什曼原虫阳性。具体而言，24.7%来自葡萄牙，23.2%来自希腊，16.6%来自以色列，15%来自西班牙，13.3%来自法国，12.6%来自意大利。在 15 只血清阳性动物中检测到利什曼原虫 DNA。饲养条件和 FIV 感染被证明是 FeL 的危险因素。利什曼原虫血清阳性与体重减轻、淋巴结肿大、龈口炎和口腔溃疡以及白蛋白和白蛋白/球蛋白比值降低、总球蛋白和总蛋白增加、白细胞增多和血小板增多显著相关。
本研究首次对 FeL 及其临床表现进行了大规模的流行病学调查，结果表明，利什曼原虫在 CanL 流行国家的家猫中传播，特别是在庇护/自由放养和 FIV 感染的动物中传播。
