ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2021
Canine leishmaniosis in Tunisia: Growing prevalence, larger zones of infection.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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13 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Seroprevalence and Factors Associated with Canine Leishmaniasis in Baringo County, Kenya: Implications for an Integrated One Health Surveillance.Veterinary sciences · 2026Article
- Community Drivers ofTropical medicine and infectious disease · 2026Article
- Factors Associated With the Emergence and Spread of Visceral Leishmaniasis in the State of São Paulo, Brazil.Zoonoses and public health · 2026Article
- Three Leishmania species identified in domestic dogs in Tunisia: New insights into canine leishmaniosis.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- Predicting current and future areas of ecological suitability for Lutzomyia longipalpis sensu lato in the Americas.Journal of medical entomology · 2026Article
- Epidemiology and clinical spectrum of leishmaniasis due to Leishmania infantum in Tunisia: Current status, challenges, and perspectives.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Review
- Ex vivo effects of oclacitinib and cyclosporin A on canine immune response to Leishmania infantum.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Global, regional, and national burden of Visceral leishmaniasis, 1990-2021: findings from the global burden of disease study 2021.Parasites & vectors · 2025Article
- Assessing current and future areas of ecological suitability for Lutzomyia shannoni in North America.Parasites & vectors · 2025Article
- Global, regional, and national temporal trend and patterns of change in the burden of leishmaniasis from 1990 to 2021: an analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.Science in One Health · 2025Article
- Global Distribution of Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis and the Role of the Dog in the Epidemiology of the Disease.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Serological survey of Leishmania infantum in apparently healthy dogs in different areas of Spain.Veterinary medicine and science · 2023Article
- Pre-test probability and likelihood ratios for clinical findings in canine leishmaniasis.Transboundary and emerging diseases · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDiscovered by Nicolle and Comte in 1908 in Tunisia, Leishmania infantum is an intracellular protozoan responsible for zoonotic canine leishmaniosis (CanL) and zoonotic human visceral leishmaniasis (HVL). It is endemic in several regions of the world, including Tunisia, with dogs considered as the main domestic reservoir. The geographic expansion of canine leishmaniosis (CanL) has been linked to global environmental changes that have affected the density and the distribution of its sand fly vectors. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL
findingsIn this study, a cross-sectional epidemiological survey on CanL was carried out in 8 localities in 8 bioclimatic areas of Tunisia. Blood samples were taken from 317 dogs after clinical examination. Collected sera were tested by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT; 1:80) for the presence of anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies. The overall seroprevalence was 58.3% (185/317). Among positive dogs, only 16.7% showed clinical signs suggestive of leishmaniosis. Seroprevalence rates varied from 6.8% to 84.6% and from 28% to 66% by bioclimatic zone and age group, respectively. Serological positivity was not statistically associated with gender. The presence of Leishmania DNA in blood, using PCR, revealed 21.2% (64/302) prevalence in dogs, which varied by bioclimatic zone (7.3% to 31%) and age group (7% to 25%). The entomological survey carried out in the studied localities showed 16 species of the two genera (Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia). P. perniciosus, P. papatasi, and P. perfiliewi were the most dominant species with relative abundances of 34.7%, 25% and 20.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The present report suggests a significant increase of CanL in all bioclimatic areas in Tunisia and confirms the ongoing spread of the infection of dogs to the country's arid zone. Such an expansion of infection in dog population could be attributed to ecological, agronomic, social and climatic factors that affect the presence and density of the phlebotomine vectors.
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