title: Canine visceral leishmaniasis in kerman, southeast of iran: a seroepidemiological, histopathological and molecular study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) is a systemic disease with a high mortality rate, caused by a diphasic protozoan parasite, Leishmania infantum/chagasi in the world. The objective of the present study was to determine the presence of CVL in the city and suburbs of Kerman, using a range of serological, histopathological and molecular methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples were taken from 80 clinically symptomatic stray dogs All the collected blood samples were tested by direct agglutination test (DAT) to detect the anti-Leishmania antibodies in dogs, using a cut-off value of ≥1:320. Pathological specimens including spleen, liver and lymph nodes were prepared for paraffin blocks, sectioning, staining and final microscopic examination in the pathology laboratory. PCR amplification of kDNA from 9 samples of DAT positive stray dogs was studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The anti-Leishmania antibody was detected in 9 dogs (11.25 %) of the total 80 studied dogs. No significant difference was found between VL infection and gender. In contrast, there was a significant difference between seropositivity and age (P<0.05). Pathological samples showed changes including hyperplasia of infected macrophages and inflammatory cells that occupied sinusoids and splenic cords. Among the samples which was characterized by PCR, only one specimen revealed to be mixed infection between L. infantum and L. tropica.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results revealed a high prevalence of L. infantum infection in stray dogs in Kerman. This kind of information is needed for implementation of future control programs.
authors: Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors: Mehdi
authors: M
authors: Bamorovat
authors: Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors: Iraj
authors: I
authors: Sharifi
authors: Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors: Mohammad Ali
authors: MA
authors: Mohammadi
authors: Department of Parasitology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors: Majid
authors: M
authors: Fasihi Harandi
authors: Dept. of Medical Parasitology & Mycology, School of Publice Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
authors: Mehdi
authors: M
authors: Mohebali
authors: Department of Pathology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors: Reza
authors: R
authors: Malekpour Afshar
authors: Department of Parasitology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors: Zahra
authors: Z
authors: Babaei
authors: Department of Parasitology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors: Nasser
authors: N
authors: Ziaali
authors: Research Center of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors: Mohammad Reza
authors: MR
authors: Aflatoonian
keywords: Canine visceral leishmaniasis; Histopathology; Iran; Molecular identification; Seroepidemiology