First report of venereal and vertical transmission of canine leishmaniosis from naturally infected dogs in Germany

Abstract

BackgroundCanine leishmaniosis (CanL) is a zoonotic disease caused by Leishmania (L.) infantum. It is endemic to several tropical and subtropical countries but also to the Mediterranean region. It is transmitted by phlebotomine sandflies but occasional non-vector transmissions have been reported, including vertical and horizontal transmission.FindingsThe authors report a case of CanL in a female boxer dog from Dusseldorf, Germany, that had never been in an endemic region. A serum sample from the bitch was tested positive for antibodies against Leishmania (IFAT 1:2,000, ELISA 72). The bitch had whelped three litters, and one puppy from the third litter was also found to be seropositive for Leishmania antibodies (IFAT 1:4,000, ELISA 78).ConclusionsUp to now, despite intensive searching, the occurrence of sandflies could not be proved in the bitch's region of origin. Thus, vertical and horizontal transmission are to be discussed as possible ways of infection. This may be the first report of venereal and vertical transmission of L. infantum in naturally infected dogs in Germany.

Pathologic Mechanisms Underlying the Clinical Findings in Canine Leishmaniosis due to Leishmaniainfantum/chagasi

“…54,58,65,67,150 The increasing evidence regarding the coital vertical transmission of L. infantum worldwide has highlighted the clinical importance of genital disease in the leishmanial dog. 14,103,133 Although the clinical or subclinical disease and genital pathology of the male dog in the form of orchitis, epididymitis, chronic prostatitis causing hematospermia-teratozoospermia, penile granulomatous disease, and balanoposthitis have been indisputably linked to CanL, it seems that L. infantum does not have genital tropism in the bitch. 38,82,92,134 However, coital transmission of the parasite could be achieved by the neoplastic cells of transmissible venereal tumor, a common stray dog disease in many countries.…”

Correlation between chronic inflammation, immunostaining and parasite load in the genital system of female dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum

“…Transmission occurs through the bite of sandflies infected with this protozoon (BARATA et al, 2004). However, vertical transmission (DUBEY et al, 2005;ROSYPAL et al, 2005;PANGRAZIO et al, 2009) and venereal transmission (NAUCKE & LORENTZ, 2012) should also be considered.…”

Sexual and vertical transmission of visceral leishmaniasis

“…Although it has not been proven that transmission actually occurred in utero, this report demonstrated that bitches with VL can be a source of infection for their pups under natural conditions. Naucke and Lorentz reported two cases of autochthonous VL in Germany [32]. A bitch that has never left a region in which there are no phlebotomine sand flies developed clinical VL.…”