Summary

# Editorial Summary: Leishmania infantum Seropositivity in Portuguese Dogs Leishmania infantum, a protozoan parasite transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies, causes chronic systemic disease in dogs and poses zoonotic risk to other species including horses, cats, and humans, making vector-borne disease management a concern across multiple veterinary disciplines in endemic regions like Portugal. Researchers tested serum samples from 343 dogs across northeastern Portugal (179 shelter animals and 164 from domestic settings) using direct agglutination testing to establish baseline seroprevalence data and compare infection rates between populations. Contrary to assumptions that stray and shelter animals carry higher pathogen burdens, shelter dogs demonstrated significantly lower seroprevalence at 5.0% compared with 15.2% in domestic dogs (p = 0.003), with overall seroprevalence at 9.9%. The disparity likely reflects more consistent implementation of preventive measures in shelter settings, particularly regular application of antifeeding insecticides, suggesting that structured parasite control protocols substantially reduce exposure risk. For equine professionals working in leishmaniosis-endemic regions, these findings underscore the importance of advocating preventive strategies—particularly vector control through appropriate ectoparasiticide selection—and challenge common assumptions about disease prevalence in shelter versus domestic populations, with implications for risk stratification and herd health planning.

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Key Findings

• •Overall seroprevalence of Leishmania spp. antibodies was 9.9% across 343 dogs in northeastern Portugal
• •Domestic dogs showed significantly higher seroprevalence (15.2%) compared to shelter dogs (5.0%, p=0.003)
• •Shelter dogs had lower infection rates likely due to more regular veterinary preventive care including insecticide use compared to domestic dogs

Conditions Studied

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