Leishmania infantum and Dirofilaria immitis coinfection in dogs in Greece

Leishmaniasis and dirofilariasis are parasitic diseases of humans and dogs, worldwide, and they are often found as coinfections in endemic areas. Cases of human and canine dirofilariasis have being reported in Greece and leishmaniasis is endemic in most prefectures in humans and dogs. In most cases, dirofilariasis is established by parasitological (the modified Knott's test) and/or immunological methods, whilst for leishmaniasis molecular techniques and culture are also used. During an epidemiological study in Greece, 22·1% of the 5772 dogs studied were found positive by serology for Leishmania. Blood cultures of 165 (12·94%) of these animals produced Leishmania promastigotes and 26 (2·03%) Dirofilaria microfilariae (L1), whilst only in two (0·16%) both Leishmania and Dirofilaria L1 appeared. The aim was to assess coinfections by the two parasites in dogs in Greece, the isolation and survival of Dirofilaria microfilariae and Leishmania promastigotes using clotted blood (a fast, simple and low-cost method) and the survival potential of the two parasites in coexistence, in vitro .

[1]  C. Koutinas,et al.  Canine heartworm disease (dirofilariosis): pathogenesis and diagnosis of a multidimensional disease , 2017 .

[2]  M. Antoniou,et al.  Detection of Leishmania Infantum in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Central Greece , 2015, Parasitology.

[3]  L. Campino,et al.  Serological investigation of Leishmania infantum, Dirofilaria immitis and Angiostrongylus vasorum in dogs from southern Portugal , 2015, Parasites & Vectors.

[4]  F. Pratlong,et al.  Leishmaniases in Greece. , 2013, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.

[5]  T. Naucke,et al.  Morphometric analyses of canine blood microfilariae isolated by the Knott’s test enables Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens species-specific and Acanthocheilonema (syn. Dipetalonema) genus-specific diagnosis , 2013, Parasites & Vectors.

[6]  M. Gramiccia,et al.  First record of autochthonous canine leishmaniasis in Hungary. , 2012, Vector borne and zoonotic diseases.

[7]  J. Cano,et al.  Leishmaniasis Worldwide and Global Estimates of Its Incidence , 2012, PloS one.

[8]  F. Pratlong,et al.  Re-emergence of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Greek Island of Crete. , 2012, Vector borne and zoonotic diseases.

[9]  C. Genchi,et al.  Dirofilarial infections in Europe. , 2011, Vector borne and zoonotic diseases.

[10]  O. Courtenay,et al.  Increasing Incidence of Zoonotic Visceral Leishmaniasis on Crete, Greece , 2009, Emerging infectious diseases.

[11]  M. Gramiccia,et al.  The northward spread of leishmaniasis in Italy: evidence from retrospective and ongoing studies on the canine reservoir and phlebotomine vectors , 2008, Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH.

[12]  L. Aresu,et al.  Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis Type III in a Simultaneous Infection of Leishmania Infantum and Dirofilaria Immitis in a Dog , 2007, Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc.

[13]  I. Ricci,et al.  Aedes albopictus is a natural vector of Dirofilaria immitis in Italy. , 2003, Veterinary parasitology.

[14]  C. Jaffe,et al.  PCR diagnosis and characterization of Leishmania in local and imported clinical samples. , 2003, Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease.

[15]  F. Rivasi,et al.  Human dirofilariasis due to Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens: an update of world literature from 1995 to 2000. , 2000, Parassitologia.

[16]  Z. Polizopoulou,et al.  Clinical and laboratory observations in 91 dogs infected with Dirofilaria immitis in northern Greece , 2000, Veterinary Record.

[17]  M. Eberhard,et al.  Zoonotic Filariasis , 1998, Clinical Microbiology Reviews.

[18]  Himonas Ca,et al.  Human and canine dirofilariasis in Greece. , 1997 .

[19]  R. Piarroux,et al.  Rapid identification of causative species in patients with Old World leishmaniasis , 1997, Journal of clinical microbiology.

[20]  M. Miles,et al.  Human urine stimulates growth of Leishmania in vitro. , 1991, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

[21]  H. C. Morgan.  Proceedings of the heartworm symposium '74. , 1976 .

[22]  E. V. Cowdry,et al.  Studies on East Coast Fever. I. The Life Cycle of the Parasite in Ticks , 1932, Parasitology.

[23]  C. Genchi,et al.  Heartworm disease in animals and humans. , 2008, Advances in parasitology.

[24]  F. Pratlong,et al.  Leishmania donovani leishmaniasis in Cyprus. , 2008, The Lancet. Infectious diseases.

[25]  L. Rinaldi,et al.  Human dirofilariasis due to Dirofilaria ( Nochtiella ) repens : an update of world literature from 1995 to 2000 , 2007 .

[26]  Jean-Claude Dujardin,et al.  Risk factors in the spread of leishmaniases: towards integrated monitoring? , 2006, Trends in parasitology.

[27]  R. Borrow,et al.  PCR diagnosis. , 2001, Methods in Molecular Medicine.

[28]  P. Silverman,et al.  In vitro cultivation procedures for parasitic helminths: recent advances. , 1971, Advances in parasitology.