Investigation of the canine leishmaniasis in Hatay

Aim: Canine Leishmaniasis (CanL) is a vector-borne zoonotic disease caused by Leishmania parasite in dogs. In our study, it was aimed to investigate CanL in Hatay with different diagnostic methods. Material and Method: Blood, citrated blood, lymph aspiration and conjunctival swab were taken from 100 dogs over 4 districts and living in the Stray Animal Care and Rehabilitation Center of Hatay. Smear preparations were prepared from blood and lymph aspiration. NNN medium was cultured from blood pellet sections and lymph aspiration. All samples were investigated by ELISA and rK39 dipstick test. For molecular diagnosis; Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was applied with ITS–1 (internal-transcribed-spacer-1) and Hsp70 (heat-shock-protein-70) gene region by performed DNA isolation from blood pellet sections, citrated blood, lymph aspiration, conjunctival swab and reproductive medium. Results: The blood smear preparations of 100 dogs weren't seen Leishmania amastigotes. Amastigotes were detected in 18.60% (8/43) of smear preparations of 43 dogs that lymph aspiration can be taken. It was observed the growth of promastigotes in 4%(4/100) blood pellet sections and in 11.63% (5/43) lymph aspiration in NNN. It was determined seropositivity with ELISA as 60% (60/100) and with rK39 dipstick test as 22% (22/100). As a result of ITS-1 RT-PCR; 12% (12/100) with blood pellet sections, 11%(11/100) with citrated blood, 46.51%(20/43) with lymph aspiration, 23% (23/100) with conjunctival swab was detected positivity. A dog was typed as L.tropica and others were typed as L.infantum/donovani, were molecularly positive. Samples of L.infantum/donovani were determined to be L.infantum with Hsp70 RT-PCR. Conclusions: In the study, 60 of 100 dogs were determined to be positive, with at least one of the studied tests. It was found that CanL seroprevalence was 60% in Hatay. Among the methods studied, the highest positivity was obtained with the ELISA. In our region, causative agent of CanL was determined that it is L. infantum generally, and L. tropica was detected in a dog for the first time. Key words: Leishmaniasis, Reservoir, Dog, Diagnosis, Hatay.