Quest Diagnostics Candida Test - Lifecosm Leishmania Ab Test Kit for pet test – Lifecosm

LSH Ab Test Kit

Information

Symptoms

In Canine
Both visceral and cutaneous manifestations may be found simultaneously in dogs; unlike humans, separate cutaneous and visceral syndromes are not seen. The clinical signs are variable and can mimic other infections. Asymptomatic infections can also occur. Typical visceral signs may include fever (which can be intermittent), anemia, lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, lethargy, decreased exercise tolerance, weight loss, and a decreased appetite. Less common visceral signs include diarrhea, vomiting, melena, glomerulonephritis,
liver failure, epistaxis, polyuria-polydipsia, sneezing, lameness (due to
polyarthritis or myositis), ascites, and chronic colitis.
In Feline
Cats are rarely infected. In most infected cats, the lesions are limited to crusted cutaneous ulcers, usually found on the lips, nose, eyelids, or pinnae. Visceral lesions and signs are rare.

Life cycle

The life cycle is completed in two hosts. A vertebrate host and an invertebrate host (sandfly). The female sand fly feeds on vertebrate host and ingests amastigotes. Flagellated promastigotes develop in the insect. The promastigotes are injected into the vertebrate host during feeding of the sandfly. The promastigotes develop into amastigotes and multiply primarily in the macrophages. Multiplication within the macrophages of the
skin, mucosa and viscera, causes cutaneous, mucosal and visceral leishmaniasis respectively

Diagnosis

In dogs, leishmaniasis is usually diagnosed by direct observation of the parasites, using Giemsa or proprietary quick stains, in smears from lymph node, spleen, or bone marrow aspirates, tissue biopsies, or skin scrapings from lesions. Organisms may also be found in ocular lesions, particularly in granulomas. The amastigotes are round to oval parasites, with a round basophilic nucleus and a small rod-like kinetoplast. They are found in macrophages or freed from ruptured cells. Immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
techniques are also used.

Prevention

The drugs most commonly used are: Meglumine Antimoniate associated with Allopurinol, Aminosidine, and recently, Amphotericin B. All these drugs require a multiple dose regimen, and this will depend on the patient’s condition and owner cooperation. It is suggested that maintenance treatment should be kept with allopurinol, because it is not possible to ensure that dogs will not relapse if treatment is discontinued. The use of collars containing insecticides, shampoos or sprays effective to protect dogs from sandfly bites must be continuously used for all patients under treatment. The vector control is one of the most important aspects of disease control.
The sandfly is vulnerable to the same insecticides as the malaria vector.