Background:
Domestic cats have been implicated as accidental hosts of
Leishmania sp. However, in recent years, the recurrent description of new cases in endemic and nonendemic areas draw
attention to the potential epidemiological
role of
cats as
reservoir hosts. Although
dogs are considered urban
reservoirs,
cats could act as a
secondary natural
reservoirs in these areas. Thus, feline
leishmaniasis has become an emerging
disease in several countries worldwide. Case presentation This study aimed to describe the first case of feline
leishmaniasis in a
stray animal that presented lesions compatible with the
disease in Belém, Pará,
Brazil, an important
urban area in eastern
Amazon.
Serological tests for
Leishmania infantum (
ELISA and IFA) were nonreactive, whereas histopathological examination indicated infectious
dermatitis caused by
Leishmania spp. or
Toxoplasma gondii. Cytopathological study of lesion aspirate confirmed the presence of
Leishmania sp. amastigotes within
macrophages. Finally, molecular analyses revealed that the feline
infection was caused by
Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi.
Conclusion:
To the best of the authors'
knowledge, this study
reports the first case of natural
infection by
Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi in a feline from eastern
Amazon. These findings suggest
domestic cats as potential
secondary reservoir hosts of
Leishmania spp. in Belém, which reinforces the importance of further
epidemiological investigation of feline
leishmaniasis, especially in
urban areas with
human cases.(AU)