Feline Leishmaniasis: What Do We Know So Far?

Abstract

Feline leishmaniasis has a nonspecific clinical condition, like the clinical signs presented by dogs, including anorexia, lymphadenomegaly, dermatitis, emaciation, hyperthermia and atrophy of the temporal muscle. Cats have been identified as an alternative reservoir; however, felines are increasingly sought after as companion animals , further exposing man. Diagnosis in these animals is still considered a challenge, since most cats are asymptomatic. Although infected cats are less often sick than dogs, likely due to natural feline resistance, clinical illness has been linked to immunosup-pressive coinfections with feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus. The feline immune response to Leishmania infection has been poorly investigated. In cats, the same drugs prescribed for dogs are used in the treatment, namely pentava-lent antimonials, allopurinol and miltefosine. Felines play an important role in the epidemiology of leishmaniasis, acting mainly as alternative reservoirs and accelerating the spread of the disease. Thus, there is a need for standardization of diagnostic and treatment methods, including thorough clinical evaluation. It is important to alert to the definition of public policies and to awaken feline owners, as well as the population in general, about care and prevention.