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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #283984
Title: Serological survey of dogs from Egypt for antibodies to Leishmania spp.

Author
item ROSYPAL, ALEXA - Johnson C Smith University
item BOWMAN, SHANAE - Johnson C Smith University
item EPPS, SAMUEL - Johnson C Smith University
item EL BEHAIRY, AHMED - Cairo University
item HILLALI, MOUSSAD - Cairo University
item Dubey, Jitender

Submitted to: Journal of Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/30/2012
Publication Date: 2/1/2013
Citation: Rosypal, A.C., Bowman, S.S., Epps, S.A., El Behairy, A.M., Hillali, M., Dubey, J.P. 2013. Serological survey of dogs from Egypt for antibodies to Leishmania spp.. Journal of Parasitology. 99:170-171.

Interpretive Summary: Leishmania, Toxoplasma, and Neospora are related single-celled parasites that cause clinical disease in livestock and companion animals. Differential diagnosis of these infections is difficult because these parasites have shared antigens. In the present study, the authors detected Leishmania antibodies in 10 of 50 dogs from Giza, Egypt, but found no cross- reactivity wth the Toxoplasma and Neospora modified agglutination test. The results will be of interest to biologists, parasitologists, and veterinarians.

Technical Abstract: Leishmaniasis is an insect-transmitted parasitic disease with worldwide distribution. Leishmania spp. infections cause a broad spectrum of clinical signs ranging from skin lesions to fatal visceral disease. Dogs are a major reservoir host for visceral leishmaniasis in humans. Leishmaniasis is endemic in the Middle East and North Africa, but little is known concerning canine Leishmania spp. infections in Egypt. Blood samples were collected from 50 stray dogs in Giza, Egypt. Canine sera were tested for antibodies to visceralizing Leishmania spp. by commercial immunochromatographic strip assays based on recombinant antigen K39. Antibodies to Leishmania spp. were found in 5 of 50 (10%) of dogs tested from Egypt. Results from this study indicate that stray dogs are exposed to visceralizing Leishmania spp. in Egypt.