Bastani Mohammad Hosein, Montaseri Maryam, Derakhshandeh Nooshin, Nazifi Saeed, Hosseinzadeh Saeid
Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 2025 May;60:101244. doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101244. Epub 2025 Mar 18.
Leishmaniasis, with various clinical manifestations, is prevalent and remains a significant zoonosis and public health concern in Iran. Dogs are the main reservoir of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess leishmaniasis in blood samples from 87 stray dogs (55 without skin lesions and 32 with skin lesions) from shelters in Shiraz, southwest Iran, for the first time. Blood samples were collected from all dogs (with and without skin lesions) and skin lesions from dogs with dermatological lesions. To amplify the conserved region of the Leishmania kDNA minicircle, samples were subjected to a species-specific PCR assay. Skin lesion smears were also assessed by microscopic examination. The PCR amplicons were sequenced, assembled, and multiple-aligned with Leishmania strains retrieved from GenBank. Finally, the phylogenetic analysis was carried out. The results showed 8.05 % (7/87) leishmaniasis in all dogs (with and without skin lesions) and 21.87 % (7/32) in dogs with skin lesions. No Leishmania infection was detected in dogs without skin lesions by PCR. A significant association was found between skin lesions and leishmaniasis (P = 0.001). No significant association was found between sex and infection (P = 0.65). Phylogenetic analysis interestingly identified three species, including L. major, L. tropica, and L. infantum, with 95-98 % identities to documented sequences. Microscopic examination of skin smears confirmed the presence of amastigotes in 15.62 % (5/32) of the dogs with skin lesions. This study highlights the importance of sheltered stray dogs with skin lesions as potential reservoirs in dispersing zoonotic visceral and cutaneous Leishmania spp. in this region. It emphasizes the need for surveillance and control measures in shelters to prevent Leishmania transmission to the vectors, humans, and animal hosts. The study also elucidated that cutaneous parasites, identified more in skin lesions by circulating in dog blood, can be detected using kDNA PCR.
利什曼病临床表现多样，在伊朗流行且仍然是一种重要的人畜共患病和公共卫生问题。犬类是皮肤型和内脏型利什曼病的主要宿主。首次对来自伊朗西南部设拉子收容所的87只流浪犬（55只无皮肤损伤，32只患有皮肤损伤）的血液样本进行横断面研究，以评估利什曼病情况。采集了所有犬（有和无皮肤损伤）的血液样本以及有皮肤病损犬的皮肤损伤样本。为扩增利什曼原虫kDNA微环的保守区域，样本进行了种特异性PCR检测。还通过显微镜检查评估了皮肤损伤涂片。对PCR扩增产物进行测序、组装，并与从GenBank检索到的利什曼原虫菌株进行多重比对。最后进行了系统发育分析。结果显示，所有犬（有和无皮肤损伤）的利什曼病感染率为8.05%（7/87），有皮肤损伤的犬感染率为21.87%（7/32）。通过PCR在无皮肤损伤的犬中未检测到利什曼原虫感染。发现皮肤损伤与利什曼病之间存在显著关联（P = 0.001）。未发现性别与感染之间存在显著关联（P = 0.65）。系统发育分析有趣地鉴定出三个物种，包括硕大利什曼原虫、热带利什曼原虫和婴儿利什曼原虫，与已记录序列的同源性为95 - 98%。对皮肤涂片的显微镜检查证实，15.62%（5/32）有皮肤损伤的犬存在无鞭毛体。本研究强调了有皮肤损伤的收容流浪犬作为该地区人畜共患内脏型和皮肤型利什曼原虫潜在宿主在传播中的重要性。它强调了在收容所采取监测和控制措施以防止利什曼原虫传播给媒介、人类和动物宿主的必要性。该研究还阐明，通过在犬血液中循环而在皮肤损伤中更易发现的皮肤寄生虫，可以使用kDNA PCR检测到。
