FELINE LEISHMANIOSIS IN ITALY: RETROSPECTIVE EVALUATION OF 24 CLINICAL CASES

Clinical leishmaniosis is sporadically reported in cats living in endemie areas and the feline disease is stili not well known. The aim of this study is to give information on the clinical features of the naturai disease caused by Leishmania infantum in cats. Data were obtained from 24 clinical cases in which the diagnosis was confirmed by at least one of the following methods: IFAT, PCR, isolation. In some cases cytological or histological evaluations were also available. The disease was diagnosed in 23 domestic shorthaired and 1 Persian cats, 11 females and 13 males, age range 2-14 years (mean 9, median 10). Sixteen cats lived fulltime or partly outdoor, 4 lived indoor (3 in a rescue cattery and 1 in apartment), 2 others were stray cats. The reason for consultation was weight loss (8 cases), anorexia (7), ulcerative/nodular dermatitis (6), chronic upper respiratory tract disease (4), chronic gingivo-stomatitis (4), apathy (3), diarrhea (3), lymph node enlargement (3), itching (3), spaying (2), lethargy (1), polyuria/polydipsia (1), polyphagia (1) , dyspnea (1), uveitis (1), conjunctivitis, (1), otitis (1) trauma (1). Physical examination main findings were: lymph node enlargement (18 cases), ulcerative dermatitis (7), emaciation (6), chronic gingivo-stomatitis (6), dehydration (6), conjunctivitis (4), uveitis (3), nodular dermatitis (2) , pale mucous membranes (2), tracheitis (2), otitis (3), hemorrhagic nodule (1), crusty dermatitis (1), pleural effusion (1), liver enlargement (1), jaundice (1), spleen enlargement (1), thyroidal nodule (1), chorioretinitis (1), alopecia (1). All cats had antibodies reacting with L. infantum and IFAT titer ranged between 1:10 and 1:5120. PCR was performed on blood, lymph node or other tissues in 22 cats and 21 tested positive on at least one tissue. Isolation was obtained from 7 cats. Celi blood count abnormalities were found in 15 cats out of 22 and anemia was the most common finding (55%). Twenty-three cats were serologically tested for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) infections: 12 were negative for both agents, 10 were positive for FIV and 1 for both FIV and FeLV infections. According to biochemical investigations performed in 20 cats, chronic renai failure was diagnosed in 4 individuate, diabetes mellitus in one and hepatic lipidosis in one other cat. Feline leishmaniosis is mainly diagnosed in old, outdoor cats presenting lymph node enlargement and frequently coinfected by FIV.