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A deadly virus that kills thousands of people each year has been pbaded for the first time between two British dogs – forcing one to be shot.
Leishmaniasis is a tropical disease caused by a parasite spread by the bite of an infected female sandfly.
It is responsible for nearly 40,000 deaths a year, mostly among the poorest in the world. It causes lesions, weight loss and kidney failure.
Dogs are known to have contracted the infection after being injured by an infected animal. But until now, this has not been reported in the UK.
To date, cases have involved blood transfusions, breeding programs or trips abroad in an area where the infection is endemic.
But a three-year-old sterilized male shih tzu cross was diagnosed with leishmaniasis in Hertfordshire.
He was with his owner since a puppy and had no known risk factors. The transmission between dogs is the most likely explanation.
Another household dog imported from Spain had to be slaughtered six months earlier after the development of the disease.
In reporting the case in Vet Record, experts warned that heightened vigilance was now needed to guard against the spread of the infection.
The dog was taken to the Queen Veterinary Hospital in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, at the Queen Veterinarian for Animals, with three weeks of weight loss, vomiting and diarrhea.
Dr. Myles McKenna and colleagues said, "This dog was in the possession of the owner because he was a puppy, he had not traveled outside of the UK and had never received a transfusion. has not been used for reproduction.
"However, another dog from the house, imported from Spain, had been euthanized six months ago because of severe leishmaniasis.
"Given the previous diagnosis of leishmaniasis in another dog from the same household, direct transmission between these dogs is considered the most likely route of infection."
To their knowledge, they stated that it was the first case of its kind in the UK and that veterinarians should consider leishmaniasis as a diagnosis when appropriate symptoms are present.
This applies even if the dog does not have a travel history, but could have been in contact with an animal that has traveled from an endemic area.
The researchers said: "In the era of international dog travel and their importation into the UK, it is likely that the number of dogs positive for leishmaniasis will continue to increase.
"Infected dogs may pose a risk to other dogs, even in the absence of natural vectors, as direct transmission between dogs is possible."
They said it was not the usual route for this potentially fatal infection that is a zoonosis – which means it can also be pbaded on to people.
They called for further research to determine the risk and potential routes of direct dog-to-dog transmission.
Dr. McKenna added, "It is important to take note of this first reported case of probable transmission of Leishmania infantum dog dog in the UK.
"Historically, we considered this a disease affecting dogs that have traveled to areas where Leishmania infantum is endemic.
"Cases of transmission from one dog to another in non-endemic areas have already been reported, for example in the United States, but this case reminds British veterinarians that we need to be vigilant in the situation. diseases such as Leishmania in non-traveled dogs and alternative transmission mechanisms exist. "
A recently published letter in the same diary revealed a second case diagnosed in another dog with no obvious risk factor – in another part of the UK.
Veterinarians said that the sterilized English pointer, three years old and fully vaccinated, had been shot dead while he had never crossed the Esbad border where he resided.
But his owners lived in Spain and had visited the Jalon Valley last summer, between Alicante and Valencia, without their pet.
Unlike the first case, this dog was not alive or in regular contact with another infected dog.
It is possible that sand flies were inadvertently returned to the owner's transport, baggage or clothing.
Ian Wright, veterinary surgeon and head of the group of European nonprofit veterinarians specializing in parasitology in the UK and Ireland, said: "This case shows that it can not be badumed that, the dog does not have a dog. With no history of travel, leishmaniasis can be excluded.
"It also reminds us that we must not let ourselves go to the risk of establishing leishmaniasis in the UK even in the current absence of the sand fly vector."
The Deputy Vice President of the British Veterinary Association (BVA), Daniella Dos Santos, said: "The increase in the number of cases of non-endemic diseases such as leishmaniasis is extremely worrying, more than a quarter veterinarians surveyed by BVA mentioning the presence of cases of this rare disease in practice.
"Leishmaniasis is primarily badociated with pets that have recently traveled outside of the UK or to" foreign "rescue dogs whose medical history is unknown.This is why we called on the government to strengthen the legislation animal travel and its application to: animal and human health in the United Kingdom ".
She advised pet owners who are planning to travel abroad with their dog to seek advice from a veterinarian, while those who already own an imported rescue dog should contact their local veterinarian to obtain advice on screening and treatment for any underlying condition.
She added: "Anyone seeking to get a dog should consider adopting a UK charity or welfare organization, instead of rescuing abroad, as the unintended consequences of dogs of Troy can be serious for the health and well-being of British pets, and so are humans. "
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