• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Biblioteca
  • Museu
  • Pessoal
    • Webmail
    • Área de Docentes
    • Área de Não-Docentes
  • Estudantes
    • Webmail
    • Moodle
    • NetP@
    • Escola Doutoral
    • Serviços Académicos
    • Trabalhar no IHMT
    • Programa Mentoria à Mesa – 1ª Edição

IHMT

Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical

  • O Instituto
    • Missão
    • Mensagem do Diretor
    • Órgãos de governo
    • Docentes e investigadores
    • Portal de Denúncias UNL
  • Ensino
    • Mestrados
    • Doutoramentos
    • Cursos de Especialização
    • Formação transversal
    • Cursos de Curta Duração
    • Ensino à Distância
    • Apoio ao Desenvolvimento
    • Serviços académicos
    • NOVA Open Academy
    • Programa Mentoria à Mesa – 1ª Edição
  • Investigação
    • Centro GHTM
    • Unidades de Ensino e de Investigação (UEI)
      • Unidade de Clínica Tropical
      • Unidade de Microbiologia Médica
      • Unidade de Parasitologia Médica
      • Unidade de Saúde Pública Global
      • Serviço de Apoio à Ciência e Comunidade
    • Biobanco
    • BLOODless
    • Centro Colaborador OMS
    • Publicações
  • Serviços e gestão
    • Biblioteca
    • Sistema de Qualidade
    • Estatutos e regulamentos
    • Plano de Atividades
    • Relatório de Atividades
    • Relatório de Gestão
    • Contratos públicos
    • Recursos humanos
      • Concursos e bolsas
        • Concursos – Docentes e Investigadores
        • Concursos – Não Docentes e Não Investigadores
        • Bolsas de Investigação
      • Contratos
      • Avaliação de Desempenho
        • Ciclo Avaliativo
          • Biénio 2021-2022
          • Biénio 2023-2024
        • Conselho Coordenador de Avaliação
        • Comissão Paritária
      • Mobilidade
      • Listas Nominativas
  • Doenças Tropicais
    • Consulta do Viajante
    • Dossiês Informativos
    • Glossário
    • Museu
    • Vídeos
    • MosquitoWeb
  • Comunidade
    • Cooperação e Desenvolvimento
    • Formação
    • Parcerias
  • Contactos
  • Candidaturas
  • pt
    • pt
    • en
Home / Publicações / Feline Leishmania infection in a canine leishmaniasis endemic region, Portugal

Feline Leishmania infection in a canine leishmaniasis endemic region, Portugal

  • Autores: Campino L, Cristóvão J, Gomes J, Maia C, Martins A, Nunes M, Rebêlo E
  • Ano de Publicação: 2010
  • Journal: Veterinary Parasitology
  • Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Feline+Leishmania+infection+in+a+canine+leishmaniasis+endemic+region%2C+Portugal

Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) caused by Leishmania infantum is a serious zoonotic public health and veterinary problem in the Mediterranean basin. Leishmania infection in domestic cats (Felis catus domesticus) has been reported in several countries where this zoonosis is endemic, such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Israel, Palestine and Brazil. The aim of this study was to contribute to the knowledge of the role played by cats in Leishmania epidemiology, in an endemic focus of zoonotic leishmaniasis, the Lisbon metropolitan area, Portugal. L. infantum DNA was detected in peripheral blood of 28 out of 138 cats (20.3%). The result of PCR in blood of cats was not closely associated with the level of specific circulating antibodies in their sera. Positive serology was observed only in one cat out of 76. In the same geographic region and time period the indirect immunofluorescent test revealed 20.4% (31/152) of dogs with antibodies and PCR detected Leismania DNA on 34.9% (53/152) animals. Despite the fact that specific antibodies have been validated for diagnosis of CanL, their detection does not seem to be sensitive enough to predict Leishmania infection in cats. On the other hand, the presence of parasite DNA in cat’s peripheral blood during the transmission season and out of the season suggests that these animals living in endemic areas are frequently exposed or infected with the parasite. Although dogs have been universally regarded as the major domestic/peridomestic reservoir hosts, the present data allow us to hypothesize that cats can act as an alternative reservoir host of L. infantum, rather than an accidental host. However, in order to evaluate the existence of a transmission cycle with cats sustaining and spreading zoonotic leishmaniasis is necessary to prove that these animals can transmit the parasite to the vector in nature.

Feline Leishmania infection in a canine leishmaniasis endemic region, Portugal

  • Autores: Campino L, Cristóvão J, Gomes J, Maia C, Martins A, Nunes M, Rebêlo E
  • Ano de Publicação: 2010
  • Journal: Veterinary Parasitology
  • Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Feline+Leishmania+infection+in+a+canine+leishmaniasis+endemic+region%2C+Portugal

Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) caused by Leishmania infantum is a serious zoonotic public health and veterinary problem in the Mediterranean basin. Leishmania infection in domestic cats (Felis catus domesticus) has been reported in several countries where this zoonosis is endemic, such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Israel, Palestine and Brazil. The aim of this study was to contribute to the knowledge of the role played by cats in Leishmania epidemiology, in an endemic focus of zoonotic leishmaniasis, the Lisbon metropolitan area, Portugal. L. infantum DNA was detected in peripheral blood of 28 out of 138 cats (20.3%). The result of PCR in blood of cats was not closely associated with the level of specific circulating antibodies in their sera. Positive serology was observed only in one cat out of 76. In the same geographic region and time period the indirect immunofluorescent test revealed 20.4% (31/152) of dogs with antibodies and PCR detected Leismania DNA on 34.9% (53/152) animals. Despite the fact that specific antibodies have been validated for diagnosis of CanL, their detection does not seem to be sensitive enough to predict Leishmania infection in cats. On the other hand, the presence of parasite DNA in cat’s peripheral blood during the transmission season and out of the season suggests that these animals living in endemic areas are frequently exposed or infected with the parasite. Although dogs have been universally regarded as the major domestic/peridomestic reservoir hosts, the present data allow us to hypothesize that cats can act as an alternative reservoir host of L. infantum, rather than an accidental host. However, in order to evaluate the existence of a transmission cycle with cats sustaining and spreading zoonotic leishmaniasis is necessary to prove that these animals can transmit the parasite to the vector in nature.

Footer

INSTITUTO DE HIGIENE E
MEDICINA TROPICAL
UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA
Rua da Junqueira, 100 1349-008 Lisboa
T +351 213 652 600
geral@ihmt.unl.pt

Consulta do Viajante e Medicina Tropical
T +351 213 652 630
T +351 213 652 690
T +351 91 182 37 48
T +351 91 182 44 67
medicina.viagens@ihmt.unl.pt

  • Ensino
  • Investigação
  • Medicina Tropical
  • Cooperação
  • Portal de Denúncias UNL

NOVA University of Lisbon Logo

Siga-nos

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Receber a “newsletter”

© Copyright 2025 IHMT-UNL Todos os Direitos Reservados.
  • Universidade Nova de Lisboa
  • Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

    UIDB/04413/2020
    UIDP/04413/2020

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok