Harold Salant

Leishmania spp. are kinetoplastid protozoa that cause zoonotic disease in humans and animals. No large-scale cross-sectional survey has been performed to study canine leishmaniasis and its spatial distribution in Israel. We aimed to survey the prevalence and geographical distribution of Leishmania infection in dogs in Israel. Paired blood and sera were collected from domestic dogs at private clinics and animal shelters throughout Israel. Leishmania infection was determined by ELISA serology and blood qPCR targeting the kinetoplast minicircle (kDNA) and the ribosomal ITS1 region. Altogether, 1,392 paired samples were tested from dogs from all parts of Israel. Thirty nine of 1,392 (2.8%) dogs were seropositive to Leishmania. Leishmania spp. infection was detected in 35/1392 (2.5%) and 10/1392 (0.7%) dogs by kDNA and ITS1 qPCR, respectively. All ITS1 PCR-positive dogs were confirmed to be infected by Leishmania infantum after DNA sequencing. Seventy four of 1,392 (5.3 %) dogs were either seropositive or PCR-positive.ITS1 PCR-positive dogs were 20 times more likely to be seropositive than negative dogs (p < 0.001) while kDNA PCR-positive dogs were 5.1 times more likely (p = 0.003). Dogs with clinical signs suggestive of leishmaniasis had significantly higher prevalence of seropositivity (7.5%) compared to dogs without signs (2.2%; p= 0.001).This survey of Leishmania infection in dogs covering the entire region of Israel revealed widespread infection in the northern, central and mid-southern regions of Israel with dominance of sub-clinical infection. The risk of Leishmania infection warrants protection against vector sand fly bites and disease screening among dogs throughout Israel.

Out of 55 roadkill mustelid carcasses collected in Romania, 42 (76.4%) belonged to the Eurasian badger, Meles meles. The presence of mites in the external auditory canal of these hosts was investigated. In total, 20 (36.36%) of the Eurasian badgers were positive for Baloghella melis mites. A total of 1,331 mite specimens were isolated from the infested animals, of which 1,328 (99.8%) were deutonymphs (hypopi) and three (0.2%) were tritonymphs. In two badgers, a male of the ear mite Otodectes cynotis, and the larva of an unidentified trombiculid mite were found positive for B. melis. Two pooled samples of B. melis were sequenced and showed high coverage and identity with the Glycyphagus hypudaei complex. To the best of our knowledge B. melis was described for the first time in the Eurasian badger in Romania, while O. cynotis was described for the first time in the Eurasian badger.

Background: Relapsing fever borreliosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Borrelia, inflicting recurrent episodes of fever and spirochetemia in humans. Borrelia persica, the causative agent of relapsing fever in Israel, is prevalent over a broad geographic area that extends from India to Egypt. It is transmitted by the soft tick Ornithodoros tholozani and causes disease in humans as well as domestic cats and dogs. The goal of this study was to survey domestic dogs and cats in Israel for infection with B. persica. Methods: Blood, sera and demographic and clinical data were collected from dogs and cats brought for veterinary care in central Israel. PCR followed by DNA sequencing was used to detect B. persica DNA in blood samples, and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect antibodies reactive with B. persica antigens in sera from the same animals. This is the first serological survey of B. persica in dogs and the first survey for antibodies reactive with a relapsing fever Borrelia sp. in cats globally. Results: Four of the 208 dogs (1.9%) and three of 103 cats (2.9%) sampled were positive by PCR for B. persica DNA, and 24 dogs (11.5%) and 18 cats (17.5%) were seropositive for B. persica antigen by ELISA. The ratio between PCR-positivity and seropositivity in both the dog and cat populations was 1:6. All four PCR-positive dogs and two of three PCR-positive cats were seronegative, suggesting a probable recent infection. Thrombocytopenia showed significant association with seropositivity in dogs (P = 0.003). In cats, anemia had a significant association with seropositivity (P = 0.0001), and thrombocytopenia was associated with the combined prevalence of seropositivity or PCR-positivity (P = 0.022). Conclusions: Borrelia persica infection is more prevalent and widespread in domestic canine and feline populations in Israel than previously thought. Dogs and cats may play a role as reservoirs and sentinels for human infection. Precautions should be taken to prevent transfusion-transmitted infection between blood donor and recipient animals. Graphic

Background: Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) is a zoonotic disease caused by Leishmania infantum. Although usually transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies, infection by vertical transmission and by blood transfusion have also been reported. Methods: We describe the very early onset of clinical leishmaniosis, starting from 2 months of age, in a litter of pups born to an infected dam and sire. Seven pups from the litter of nine living in different households showed alopecic, exfoliative dermatitis and ulcerative cutaneous lesions. All pups and both parents were tested on at least one occasion both serologically, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the Leishmania ribosomal operon internal transcribed spacer 1 region and a short fragment of the kinetoplast minicircle; positive amplicons were sequenced. Results: All nine pups were PCR positive for L. infantum verified by DNA sequencing, seven were positive by conjunctival, five by blood, four by lymph node, and one by skin PCR from an ulcerative lesion. Both pups with no clinical signs were seronegative, while five of the seven pups with dermatologic abnormalities were seropositive by ELISA. The sire had typical clinical dermatologic and visceral findings of CanL, was seropositive and PCR positive for L. infantum in the lymph node and fluid from the vas deferens tested after the testes were removed by castration. The dam was sub-clinically infected and seronegative, but positive by blood, lymph node and conjunctival PCR for L. infantum. Allopurinol administered to all clinically affected dogs resulted in clinical recovery. Conclusions: Infection with L. infantum in both parents, the very early age of clinical onset among most of the pups, and the fact that the puppies were born and detected with signs of leishmaniosis in the winter, which is a season without sand fly activity in Israel, strongly suggest vertical transmission. Awareness of the possibility of vertical transmission of L. infantum and infection in littermates should be increased. It is recommended that littermates of young dogs with clinical leishmaniosis should be tested for sub-clinical infection as they may also be infectious to sand flies and thus to other dogs and to humans. Restricting the mating of infected bitches should also be considered to prevent the vertical transmission of the infection. Graphic