Anti-Brucella canis antibodies in dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum and associated histological alterations in the genital tract

Abstract

In canine visceral leishmaniasis, coinfections can aggravate the disease. Our aim was to investigate Brucella canis in dogs infected with Leishmania infantum. One hundred and six L. infantum-seropositive dogs were submitted to serology for B. canis, PCR for B. canis and L. infantum, and histopathological analysis of the genital tract. Anti-B. canis antibodies were detected in seven dogs whose clinical signs, L. infantum load and histological alterations were similar to those of seronegative animals. The circulation of anti-B. canis antibodies was low but demonstrates the exposure of dogs to this bacterium in a visceral leishmaniasis-endemic area.

Key words
canine brucellosis; canine visceral leishmaniasis; histopathology; PCR; serology