Serological and molecular surveillance of leishmaniosis in dogs across the United States.
8 affiliations
- 1Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA. [email protected].
- 2Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA. [email protected].
- 3Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.
- 4IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Westbrook, ME, USA.
- 5Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
- 6Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
- 7Antech Diagnostics, Loveland, CO, USA.
- 8Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.
Abstract
Background
Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) is caused by Leishmania species. While vertical transmission is the primary route of CanL transmission in the USA, the role of sand fly vectors in its transmission and the prevalence in the broader pet population remain under-investigated. Diagnosis of CanL may include serology, PCR, or histopathology. However, ELISA tests are seldom used for the diagnosis of CanL in the USA despite their preference in endemic regions.Methods
Firstly, a serological and molecular survey was conducted in Oklahoma and Texas using the SNAP™ Leishmania Test (IDEXX Laboratories Inc.) on canine blood or serum, while serum only was used for commercial indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) testing. Molecular testing for Leishmania spp. included targeting segments of the small subunit rRNA gene by qPCR, the minicircle kinetoplast using a dPCR assay (QIAGEN), and a confirmatory Vector-borne Disease Panel (Antech Diagnostics). Secondly, sand fly trapping and testing were conducted in Oklahoma and Texas with morphological and molecular identification targeting the ITS-2 gene, as well as qPCR for Leishmania spp. Finally, a nationwide serological survey of apparently healthy dogs was conducted using the SNAP Leishmania Test and confirmatory testing with a commercial IFA test.Results
In the regional survey, seroprevalence was 0.61% (2/328; CI 0.07-2.0) with the SNAP Leishmania Test and 4.35% (6/138; CI 2.0-9.0) via the IFA test. Leishmania spp. DNA was not detected in any of the tested blood samples (n = 253). Psathyromyia shannoni (n = 8) were collected from Denton and Grayson Counties, Texas, with no detection of Leishmania spp. DNA. The nationwide prevalence of Leishmania spp. antibodies was 0.35% (9/2,515; CI 0.16-0.68) in non-Foxhound pet dogs from 48 states. Notably, all positive samples on the SNAP Leishmania Test were positive on IFA testing.Conclusions
Leishmania seropositive animals were found in Texas and Oklahoma, as other infections were demonstrated by the vector-borne panel. The sand fly vector role could not be determined due to limited collection of specimens. Nationwide survey demonstrated a low prevalence of Leishmania antibodies. The methods used in this study (SNAP Leishmania Test and IFA) constitute useful tools for canine leishmaniosis surveys, and sample choices should be taken into account.
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BibTeX
@article{murillo2026serological,
title = {{Serological and molecular surveillance of leishmaniosis in dogs across the United States.}},
author = {Daniel Felipe Barrantes Murillo and Rachel C Smith and K Wade Burton and Chengming Wang and Theresa Wood and Subarna Barua and Guilherme G Verocai and Maureen A Kelly and Pablo D Jimenez Castro and Christian M Leutenegger and Jeremiah T Saliki and Kathryn T Duncan},
journal = {Parasites \& vectors},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s13071-026-07589-6},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958595},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Serological and molecular surveillance of leishmaniosis in dogs across the United States.
AU - Daniel Felipe Barrantes Murillo
AU - Rachel C Smith
AU - K Wade Burton
AU - Chengming Wang
AU - Theresa Wood
AU - Subarna Barua
AU - Guilherme G Verocai
AU - Maureen A Kelly
AU - Pablo D Jimenez Castro
AU - Christian M Leutenegger
AU - Jeremiah T Saliki
AU - Kathryn T Duncan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/01
JO - Parasites & vectors
DO - 10.1186/s13071-026-07589-6
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958595
AB - Background Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) is caused by Leishmania species. While vertical transmission is the primary route of CanL transmission in the USA, the role of sand fly vectors in its transmission and the prevalence in the broader pet population remain under-investigated. Diagnosis of CanL may include serology, PCR, or histopathology. However, ELISA tests are seldom used for the diagnosis of CanL in the USA despite their preference in endemic regions.Methods Firstly, a serological and molecular survey was conducted in Oklahoma and Texas using the SNAP™ Leishmania Test (IDEXX Laboratories Inc.) on canine blood or serum, while serum only was used for commercial indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) testing. Molecular testing for Leishmania spp. included targeting segments of the small subunit rRNA gene by qPCR, the minicircle kinetoplast using a dPCR assay (QIAGEN), and a confirmatory Vector-borne Disease Panel (Antech Diagnostics). Secondly, sand fly trapping and testing were conducted in Oklahoma and Texas with morphological and molecular identification targeting the ITS-2 gene, as well as qPCR for Leishmania spp. Finally, a nationwide serological survey of apparently healthy dogs was conducted using the SNAP Leishmania Test and confirmatory testing with a commercial IFA test.Results In the regional survey, seroprevalence was 0.61% (2/328; CI 0.07-2.0) with the SNAP Leishmania Test and 4.35% (6/138; CI 2.0-9.0) via the IFA test. Leishmania spp. DNA was not detected in any of the tested blood samples (n = 253). Psathyromyia shannoni (n = 8) were collected from Denton and Grayson Counties, Texas, with no detection of Leishmania spp. DNA. The nationwide prevalence of Leishmania spp. antibodies was 0.35% (9/2,515; CI 0.16-0.68) in non-Foxhound pet dogs from 48 states. Notably, all positive samples on the SNAP Leishmania Test were positive on IFA testing.Conclusions Leishmania seropositive animals were found in Texas and Oklahoma, as other infections were demonstrated by the vector-borne panel. The sand fly vector role could not be determined due to limited collection of specimens. Nationwide survey demonstrated a low prevalence of Leishmania antibodies. The methods used in this study (SNAP Leishmania Test and IFA) constitute useful tools for canine leishmaniosis surveys, and sample choices should be taken into account.
SN - 1756-3305
ER -