Canine Leishmaniasis in the Salento peninsula of Apulia, Italy: a preliminary report

Canine leishmaniasis is endemic to the Mediterranean area. In Italy this zoonosis is distributed over a large portion of the Country. We studied a representative sample of 638 dogs of the canine population subjected to routine veterinary check in Salento peninsula (Apulia, Italy) where the exact entity of the zoonosis is currently unknown. Amastigote’s indirect immunofluorescence (IFAT) and electrophoresis of serum proteins were used as specific and non-specific diagnostic tests, respectively. In addition, lymph node and bone marrow aspirates were examined by light microscopy after May-Grunwald Giemsa or Diff Quick staining, to confirm the suspected pathology. Results demonstrated that about 13% of dogs were affected by leishmaniasis. This prevalence value, significantly higher than that reported in a previous study conducted twenty years ago, strongly suggests that leishmaniasis is endemic in Salento.