Suchergebnisse

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is expanding in the Brazilian territory. Dogs are considered an important urban reservoir; however, studies have demonstrated the presence of infected cats in some Brazilian states. This report aimed to describe a case of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum infection in a two-month-old domestic feline from a Brazilian region with a high incidence of human visceral leishmaniasis. The analyzed samples were the cat's blood, conjunctiva, spleen, liver, popliteal, submandibular and mesenteric lymph nodes, skin, lung and kidney. The diagnostic methods were: parasitological examination, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and an immunoflurescence antibody test (IFAT). All tissues were positive. The title obtained using the IFAT was 1:160. The animal was negative for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV). This work addresses the first case of feline leishmaniasis in the state of Tocantins, and reveals data that may contribute to the knowledge of the disease, since it has been shown to be able to develop rapidly and fatally in kittens, with the ability to infect several tissues.

Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora spp. are protozoa that have a significant impact on animal health due to the diseases they cause in domestic and wild animals. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of antibodies against T. gondii and Neospora spp. in cats from northern Brazil. Serum samples were collected from 180 cats in the municipality of Araguaína, Tocantins and used to evaluate the presence of anti-T. gondii and anti-Neospora spp. antibodies using the indirect fluorescent antibody test, with a cutoff of 1:64 and 1:25, respectively. The association between infection and individual animal characteristics (age, sex, origin, breed, and clinical signs) was tested using univariate analysis, followed by multivariate logistic regression. We found that 48.3% (87/180) of the animals had anti-T. gondii (95% CI: 40.8%–55.90%) and 3.9% (7/180) had anti-Neospora spp. (95% CI: 1.6%–7.8%) antibodies. There was no association between age, sex, breed origin, clinical signs, and seropositivity for T. gondii. Cats of defined breeds were more likely to be infected by Neospora spp. (OR = 10.7). Therefore, we found a high rate of seropositivity for T. gondii and a high rate of occurrence of Neospora infections in cats from the Araguaína region. The exposure of the feline population to the studied coccidia indicates the need to monitor the feline population for these infections and underscores the importance of effective sanitary measures against such pathogens.