ArticlePloS one2017
Occurrence of Leishmania infantum in the central nervous system of naturally infected dogs: Parasite load, viability, co-infections and histological alterations.
Article in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 31 citations in OpenAlex.
- World Association for Veterinary Dermatology Consensus Statement for Diagnosis, and Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines for Treatment and Prevention of Canine Leishmaniosis.Veterinary dermatology · 2025Guideline
- Pathogens of the Human Central Nervous System-the Major Protozoan Parasites and Helminths.Molecular neurobiology · 2026Review
- Detection of circulating immune complexes in feline leishmaniosis: first evidence and diagnostic implications.Veterinary research communications · 2026Article
- Detection of DNA of Leishmania infantum in the brains of dogs without neurological signs in an endemic region for leishmaniasis in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.Parasitology research · 2024Article
- Ehrlichia spp. infection worsens cardiac damage in dogs with canine visceral leishmaniasis.Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria · 2024Article
- Increased CCL-5 (RANTES) Gene Expression in the Choroid Plexus of Dogs with Canine Leishmaniosis.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2023Article
- Epidemiologic, Clinical and Immunological Consequences of Co-Infections during Canine Leishmaniosis.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2021Review
- Frequency of detection and load of amastigotes in the pancreas of Leishmania infantum-seropositive dogs: clinical signs and histological changes.Parasites & vectors · 2021Article
- Malnutrition Aggravates Alterations Observed in the Gut Structure and Immune Response of Mice Infected withMicroorganisms · 2021Article
- Role ofMicroorganisms · 2021Article
- Article
- Detection of amastigotes and histopathological alterations in the thymus of Leishmania infantum-infected dogs.Immunity, inflammation and disease · 2020Article
- Article
- Clinical Toxoplasmosis in Dogs and Cats: An Update.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2019Review
- Real-time PCR applications for diagnosis of leishmaniasis.Parasites & vectors · 2018Review
- Unveiling Cerebral Leishmaniasis: parasites and brain inflammation in Leishmania donovani infected mice.Scientific reports · 2017Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
11 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis is caused by the protozoan Leishmania infantum and little is known about the occurrence and pathogenesis of this parasite in the CNS. The aims of this study were to evaluate the occurrence, viability and load of L. infantum in the CNS, and to identify the neurological histological alterations associated with this protozoan and its co-infections in naturally infected dogs. Forty-eight Leishmania-seropositive dogs from which L. infantum was isolated after necropsy were examined. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were analyzed by parasitological culture, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and the rapid immunochromatographic Dual Path Platform test. Brain, spinal cord and spleen samples were submitted to parasitological culture, qPCR, and histological techniques. Additionally, anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Ehrlichia canis antibodies in serum and distemper virus antigens in CSF were investigated. None of the dogs showed neurological signs. All dogs tested positive for L. infantum in the CNS. Viable forms of L. infantum were isolated from CSF, brain and spinal cord in 25% of the dogs. Anti-L. infantum antibodies were detected in CSF in 61% of 36 dogs. Inflammatory histological alterations were observed in the CNS of 31% of the animals; of these, 66% were seropositive for E. canis and/or T. gondii. Amastigote forms were associated with granulomatous non-suppurative encephalomyelitis in a dog without evidence of co-infections. The highest frequency of L. infantum DNA was observed in the brain (98%), followed by the spinal cord (96%), spleen (95%), and CSF (50%). The highest L. infantum load in CNS was found in the spinal cord. These results demonstrate that L. infantum can cross the blood-brain barrier, spread through CSF, and cause active infection in the entire CNS of dogs. Additionally, L. infantum can cause inflammation in the CNS that can lead to neurological signs with progression of the disease.
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