TY - JOUR AU - Travi, Bruno L. AU - Tabares, Carlos Javier AU - Cadena, Horacio PY - 2006/10/01 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis infection in two Colombian dogs: a note on infectivity for sand flies and response to treatment JF - Biomédica JA - biomedica VL - 26 IS - Sup1 SE - Comunicación breve DO - 10.7705/biomedica.v26i1.1520 UR - https://revistabiomedica.org/index.php/biomedica/article/view/1520 SP - 249-53 AB - <p><strong>Introduction. </strong>Although canine cutaneous leishmaniasis has been reported in several foci of South America, no published information from Colombia is available.</p><strong></strong><p><strong>Objective.</strong> We report on two cases found in the Pacific coast region of this country, which presented as a single scrotal ulcer in one dog, and two ulcers on the external surface of the ear in a second dog.</p><strong></strong><p><strong>Materials and methods.</strong> Parasites were isolated by culture in Senekjie’s culture medium and identified using monoclonal antibodies. The capacity of these dogs to transmit the parasites to sand fly vectors (<em>Lutzomyia trapidoi, Lutzomyia gomezi, Lutzomyia longipalpis, Lutzomyia youngi</em>) was tested by allowing the flies to feed on the lesion borders.</p><strong></strong><p><strong>Results.</strong> Both isolates were identified as <em>Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis.</em> No infections were detected upon dissection of engorged flies. A single peri-and sub-lesional injection of 1-2 ml of pentavalent antimony in the dog with ear lesions resulted in clinical cure 6 weeks post-treatment.</p><strong></strong><p><strong>Conclusions. </strong>These observations suggest that although dogs are susceptible to <em>L. braziliensis</em>, their reservoir competence could be low. However, if further studies indicate that canines are capable reservoir hosts of <em>L. Viannia</em> spp., the local treatment of lesions could become a feasible approach to diminish the risk of human infection in the peridomestic setting, without sacrificing infected dogs.</p> ER -