Point-of-care serology in feline leishmaniosis: A diagnostic gap requiring species-specific solutions.
- 1Animal Pathology Department, Veterinary Faculty and Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2, Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA, Miguel Servet 177, Zaragoza, 50013, Spain.
- 2Clinical Immunology Laboratory, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, 50013, Spain.
Abstract
Feline leishmaniosis (FeL) caused by Leishmania infantum is increasingly recognised as a clinically and epidemiologically relevant condition in endemic regions. However, unlike canine leishmaniosis, rapid point-of-care serological testing has not become an established component of routine feline diagnostic workflows. This gap is important because feline immune responses to L. infantum differ from those observed in dogs, while the performance of serological methods varies substantially according to assay format and host-specific characteristics. We argue that FeL requires species-adapted point-of-care serology rather than direct extrapolation of canine diagnostic platforms. Such assays should not be considered stand-alone tools for confirming clinical disease, but rather first-line triage tests integrated into a multimodal diagnostic pathway. Their validation should include well-characterised clinical populations, assessment of low-level antibody responses, cross-reactivity and reproducibility, and methodologies capable of addressing the absence of a perfect diagnostic gold standard. The principal unmet need is therefore not simply the availability of another rapid test, but the development and rigorous validation of feline-specific assays that can improve early clinical recognition and appropriately guide confirmatory investigation.
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BibTeX
@article{villanuevasaz2026pointofcare,
title = {{Point-of-care serology in feline leishmaniosis: A diagnostic gap requiring species-specific solutions.}},
author = {Sergio Villanueva-Saz and Diana Marteles-Aragüés},
journal = {Current research in parasitology \& vector-borne diseases},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.crpvbd.2026.100448},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42903438},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Point-of-care serology in feline leishmaniosis: A diagnostic gap requiring species-specific solutions.
AU - Sergio Villanueva-Saz
AU - Diana Marteles-Aragüés
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/10
JO - Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases
DO - 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2026.100448
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42903438
AB - Feline leishmaniosis (FeL) caused by Leishmania infantum is increasingly recognised as a clinically and epidemiologically relevant condition in endemic regions. However, unlike canine leishmaniosis, rapid point-of-care serological testing has not become an established component of routine feline diagnostic workflows. This gap is important because feline immune responses to L. infantum differ from those observed in dogs, while the performance of serological methods varies substantially according to assay format and host-specific characteristics. We argue that FeL requires species-adapted point-of-care serology rather than direct extrapolation of canine diagnostic platforms. Such assays should not be considered stand-alone tools for confirming clinical disease, but rather first-line triage tests integrated into a multimodal diagnostic pathway. Their validation should include well-characterised clinical populations, assessment of low-level antibody responses, cross-reactivity and reproducibility, and methodologies capable of addressing the absence of a perfect diagnostic gold standard. The principal unmet need is therefore not simply the availability of another rapid test, but the development and rigorous validation of feline-specific assays that can improve early clinical recognition and appropriately guide confirmatory investigation.
SN - 2667-114X
ER -