Visceral leishmaniasis, also known as Calazar, is a worrying disease in Brazil, this disease is caused by a protozoan and can affect dogs, humans and other animals, as it is a zoonotic disease, that is, it can be transmitted from animals to humans, it is a very worrying disease.
This disease is widespread almost all over the world, in Latin America in Latin America it has already been identified in more than 14 countries and 90% of cases occur in Brazil.
- As this is a very worrying epidemiological disease in Brazil.
- Animal Expert has prepared this article so that you know all about calazar or visceral leishmaniasis: symptoms.
- Causes and treatment.
- Read!.
Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by a protozoa of the genus Leishmania, the transmission of this protozoa is caused by the bite of a vector insect, that is, an insect that carries with it this protozoa and itches to the dog, man or other animal, deposits this protozoa and infects by disease.These insects are called phlebotomas and there are more than 30 different species.
Animals or people bitten by these insects become so-called reservoirs of diseases.An animal or person can be bitten and carry the disease even without showing clinical signs.However, every time an insect mentioned above bites a dog or other animal, it becomes a disease.potential vector of the disease.
In urban centers, the main reservoir of the disease is the dog; in nature, the main reservoirs are foxes and marsupials.
In dogs, the main mosquito transmitting this disease belongs to the genus Lutzomyia longipalpis, also called the straw mosquito.
Canine kala azar or visceral leishmaniasis is one of two forms of leishmaniasis in dogs, in addition to this form, there is a skin leishmaniasis or mucocutaneous, disease that can affect any dog, regardless of age, breed or sex.
About 50% of dogs with visceral leishmaniasis show no clinical signs and may live their entire lives without showing signs, being only carriers of the disease.
The clinical signs can only be dermatological, but they are considered visceral because the parasites spread throughout the body, even before the appearance of the first dermatological signs. It all starts with the bite of the insect and a lump called leishmanioma forms. This bump almost always goes unnoticed because it is very small. Then the whole process develops through the organism of the dog, and the processes of skin ulceration and even necrosis begin to appear.
In summary, the first symptoms of kala-azar in the dog are
In the latter stages of the disease, the dog may have other symptoms of kala-azar such as:
In the final stage, when the dog is in the last state of canine visceral leishmaniasis, it may present symptoms such as:
Yes, unfortunately this disease can be transmitted to humans, as we have already mentioned, it is not transmitted directly from the dog to humans, but through an insect that bites an infected dog and then itches to the human being and thus transmits the disease.This disease can be fatal, especially in malnourished children or in immunocompromised people, such as HIV-positive people.
As mentioned above, any dog or other animal may be a carrier of this disease and not be known because it has no symptoms, the important thing is that your dog is protected from insect bites, as we will explain later.
Some studies claim that not only phlebotoma insects can transmit diseases, but also other parasites such as fleas and ticks.There is also the possibility that they may be transmitted through the placenta from mother to child and through venereal pathways.
To diagnose Calazar disease in dogs or canine visceral leishmaniasis, the veterinarian relies on clinical signs and makes the definitive diagnosis using specific evidence.
The test can be parasitological or serological, as in human medicine, the parasitological examination consists of the collection of biological material by puncture of a lymph node in the dog, bone marrow, spleen or directly from the skin, although they are simple and effective methods, they are invasive, which carries more risks to the animal.
Another possibility is serological tests, such as indirect immunofluorescence or Elisa test, which are especially useful in large groups of dogs, such as kennels and are recommended by the Ministry of Health.
Although we cannot say that there really is a cure, because the protozoa remains in the body of the animal, we can say that there is a clinical remedy, that is, the protozoa is in a state of latency, as if it was sleeping and could not Also, the parasitic load decreases so much with the treatment that the animal ceases to be a potential transmitter for other animals.
Recently, Milteforan was released in Brazil, which was a breakthrough in Brazil!Finally, there is legalized treatment for canine visceral leishmaniasis. Until then, there was no treatment for this disease in Brazil and thousands of animals were slaughtered.
Until then, the treatment of canine kala azar was a controversial and much-discussed topic in veterinary medicine in Brazil.Fortunately, with advances in veterinary medicine and because there is finally this legal option for the treatment of animals in Brazil, the prognosis has improved markedly.
There is a vaccine for the prevention of kalazar disease in dogs.This vaccine was developed by Fort Dodge and is called leish-tec ®.
Ask your veterinarian about your dog’s vaccination and vaccination costs.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any type of diagnosis, we suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any condition or discomfort.
If you would like to read more articles similar to Calazar canina (Visceral Leishmaniasis): Symptoms, Causes and Treatment, we recommend you visit our Infectious Diseases section.