Abstract
Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) is a neglected zoonotic disease caused by Leishmania spp. Leishmania infantum is the species responsible for the zoonotic form of the disease where dogs are reservoir hosts. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of CanL in asymptomatic dogs in Kosovo. Blood samples were collected from 285 dogs in all seven regions in Kosovo (35–50 samples per region) from summer 2021 to spring 2022. Sera were tested using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the presence of anti-Leishmania IgG was confirmed by an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). The true overall seroprevalence of CanL of asymptomatic dogs in Kosovo with ELISA was 4.21% (95% CI: 2.42–7.21) while with IFAT was 3.51% (95% CI: 1.92–6.34). The highest rates were found in the Prishtina region to be 8.0% (4/50) by ELISA and 6.0% (3/50) by IFAT, and in the Mitrovica region, the prevalence was 0% (0/40). There were no significant differences among the different regions, gender, age, health status, and breed. These findings highlight the presence of CanL in most regions of Kosovo and underline the veterinary relevance of clinically asymptomatic dogs infected with Leishmania.
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Data availability
The data presented in the study are available on request from the corresponding author.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all colleagues who helped to collect the blood samples and everyone who contributed to this study.
Funding
This research was partially funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of the Republic of Kosovo, Project number: 2–1775.
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Conceptualization, B.XH., J.S., A.C., B.B., A.R., and K.SH.; validation, Lj.R. and E.K.; formal analysis, M.N.; investigation, B.XH. and J.S.; resources, B.XH., E.K., J.S., A.R., and K.SH; writing—original draft preparation, B.XH. and A.C.; writing—review and editing, A.C., E.K., and M.N.; supervision, J.S. and A.C.; project administration, J.S.; funding acquisition, B.XH. and K.SH. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
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No Ethics Commission is established in the Republic of Kosovo. This study was conducted in compliance with the regulations of the Department of Hygiene, Welfare and Ethology of Animals, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, University of Prishtina ‘Hasan Prishtina’. Sampling was performed following the approval of the Faculty from 19 March 2021. Scientific research works that include investigation of vector-borne emerging diseases in dogs are performed to diagnose animal diseases and improve animal welfare. No suffering was caused during the sample collection.
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Informed consent was obtained from all owners of dogs involved in the study.
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Xhekaj, B., Stefanovska, J., Sherifi, K. et al. Seroprevalence of canine leishmaniosis in asymptomatic dogs in Kosovo. Parasitol Res 122, 607–614 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-022-07762-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-022-07762-7