Leishmaniose visceral canina multissistêmica: relato de caso

Abstract

Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL), also known as kala-azar, is a zoonosis of great relevance to public health in Brazil, caused by the protozoan Leishmania infantum (syn. L. chagasi) and transmitted by the bite of phlebotomine sand flies, with Lutzomyia longipalpis being the main vector. The domestic dog is considered the primary reservoir in urban areas, playing a key role in maintaining the epidemiological cycle. The clinical manifestations are diverse, ranging from cutaneous lesions (alopecia, dermatitis, nodules) to severe systemic alterations, with renal complications being the main cause of mortality. This study aimed to report the case of a dog with multisystemic visceral leishmaniasis treated at the Veterinary Hospital of UFPB, campus

Areia-PB, describing clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects. The patient was a six-year- old, intact male American Pit Bull Terrier, weighing 24.5 kg, from a rural area of the municipality

of Alagoa Grande-PB. The animal presented classical clinical signs of the disease, such as lymphadenomegaly, weight loss, nodular and ulcerative dermatological lesions, in addition to ocular alterations such as uveitis and keratitis. Laboratory tests revealed normocytic normochromic anemia, thrombocytopenia, hypoalbuminemia, and hypercreatininemia, along with splenomegaly detected by ultrasonography. Definitive diagnosis was established by direct visualization of amastigote forms of Leishmania spp. in cytology samples of cutaneous nodules, lymph nodes, and bone marrow, evidencing systemic disease and a high parasite burden. Treatment was instituted with the therapeutic protocol of Miltefosine and Allopurinol, along with supportive medications to control clinical signs. It is concluded that the reported CVL case presented multisystemic clinical involvement with cutaneous parasitemia, highlighting the importance of early identification and appropriate therapeutic management to improve the animal’s quality of life and reduce the parasite load, consequently decreasing the zoonotic risk.