title: Hepatozoon canis and Leishmania spp. coinfection in dogs diagnosed with visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: This study describes the occurrence of dogs naturally co-infected with Hepatozoon canis and two Leishmania species: L. infantum or L. braziliensis. Four dogs serologically diagnosed with Visceral Leishmaniasis were euthanized. Liver and spleen samples were collected for histopathological analysis and DNA isolation. H. canis meronts were observed in tissues from all four dogs. H. canis infection was confirmed by PCR followed by sequencing of a fragment of 18S rRNA gene. Leishmania detection and typing was confirmed by ITS1' PCR-RFLP and parasite burden was calculated using ssrRNA quantitative qPCR. A DPP - Dual Path platform test was performed. One out (Dog #2) of four animals was asymptomatic. Dogs #1 and #4 were infected by L. infantum and were DPP test positive. Dogs #2 and #3 were infected by L. braziliensis and were DPP test negative. Furthermore, visceral dissemination was observed in Dogs #2 and #3, since L. braziliensis was detected in liver and spleen samples. The visceral dissemination of L. braziliensis associated with systemic signs suggested that this co-infection could influence the parasite burden and disease progression.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisa em Leishmaniose, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Nazaré
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Morgado
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisa em Leishmaniose, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Amanda Dos Santos
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Dermatozoonoses em Animais Domésticos, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Luisa Helena de
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" - UNESP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Lúcia Helena
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: O'Dwyer
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" - UNESP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria Regina Lucas da
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Dermatozoonoses em Animais Domésticos, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Caldas
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisa em Leishmaniose, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Aurea Virgínia
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Andrade da Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisa em Leishmaniose, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Mariana Côrtes
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Boité
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisa em Leishmaniose, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cupolillo
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisa em Leishmaniose, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Porrozzi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003044:Coccidia; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D060085:Coinfection / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D018314:Leishmania infantum; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length