Megacor Diagnostik Leish Rapid Test – Box of 10

The visceral leishmaniasis of the dog is caused by the protozoon Leishmania infantum world-wide. Dogs and other canines are considered to be the reservoir for leishmaniasis in humans (zoonosis).

To date leishmaniasis was known in Leishmania free regions as a pure travel or import disease. New investigations show increased sporadic occurring autochtonous cases of leishmaniasis in so far Leishmania free regions. The vectors, sandflies (Phlebotominae), admittedly need a subtropical to tropical climate, which however is not geographically dependent on such climatic zones. There are first scientific verified discoveries of sandflies in temperate zones. Furthermore, an infection via mating (urine/sperm), via diaplacentar transmission and via blood transfusion are discussed.

Leishmania are transferred by sand-flies via stings. They infest and reproduce in macrophages and cells of the reticuloendothelial system (among others liver, spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes). Dependent on the Leishmania zymodem and the immune status of the dog, there are variable clinical symptoms with more or less dermatological (different skin and claw alterations) and visceral (apathy, fever, nose bleeding, lameness, kidney failure) manifestations.

Due to the individual extremely variable incubation times, from a few months to several years, infested animals can be free of symptoms during that time. The detection of Leishmania antibodies can be pointing at an initiating or an existing infection. Thus, suspected animals and animals from endemic leishmaniasis regions (travel or import) should be tested serologically for antibodies repeatedly in an interval of 2–4 weeks. Animals from endemic areas and asymptomatic animals can show borderline to weak antibody titre (“seroprevalence”), whereas clinical diseased animals show a clear increase of titre between two tests (“disease prevalence”). Therefore the indirect detection of antibodies with FASTest® LEISH gets a greater diagnostic importance.

FASTest® LEISH is based on highly specific recombinant peptides for the fast and reliable detection of antibodies against L. infantum in whole blood, plasma or serum of the dog.

Due to the innovation of a Leishmania vaccine, it is required to determine the antibody titre status of the dog before vaccination to get a decision “vaccination or no vaccination” adequate to the guidelines of the vaccine manufacturer.

For the detection of antibodies, a two-step diagnostics is known to be standard. The first step starts with an in-clinic IgG antibody screening test like FASTest® LEISH. Due to the fact that dogs from endemic areas show antibodies against Leishmania on principle, a positive FASTest® LEISH only means contact with Leishmania in the apast, not always implying an active leishmaniosis. In a second step, a quantitative antibody titre determination should be done using indirect immunofluorescence test (MegaFLUO® LEISH) to determine the end titre.