Leishmania spp. (2) Flashcards
What are the common names?
Kala-azar (visceral form)
Oriental sore (cutaneous form)
What are the hosts?
Man
Dog
Fox
Raccoon
Wolf
Wood rat
Some other mammals
How do you identify?
Amastigotes
- Round to oval - 1.5-3.0 x 2.5-6.5 micro m within host macrophage - Possesses large nucleus - Rod-shaped kinetoplast
Explain the life cycle
Leishmaniasis transmitted by bite of infected female phlebotomine sand flies
Inject infective stage (promastigotes) from their proboscis during blood meals
Promastigotes reach puncture wound are phagocytized by macrophages and other types of mononuclear phagocytic cells
Promastigotes transform in macrophages into tissue stages (amastigotes)
Multiply by simple division and proceed to infect other macrophages
Sand flies become infected by ingesting infected cells during blood meals
Sand flies - amastigotes transform into promastigotes
- Develop in gut and migrate to the proboscis
What are the sites of infection?
Skin
Liver
Spleen
Bone marrow
Lymph node
Describe the Pathogenesis
Amastigotes cause pathology in skin, liver, and spleen
Cutaneous and visceral forms of leishmaniasis exist in dogs
- Often fatal without proper treatment visceral
- Cutaneous form usually shows as shallow skin ulcers
- Often on lips/eyelids
- Spontaneous recovery
- Visceral form associated with
- Intermittent fever
- Anemia
- Cachexia
- Generalized lymphadenopathy
How do you diagnose?
Amastigotes in scrapes or smears from affected skin, or from lymph node, spleen, or bone marrow biopsy
Ab-ELISA
PCR
How do you treat and prevent?
Vector control
Pentavalent antimonial and Amphoteracin B
Destruction of infected dogs desirable due to public health aspect
Deltamothrin-impregnated collar on dog reduces sand fly bites
What is important about Leishmania spp.?
It is ZOONOTIC
