Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - Department of Clinical Pathology

One hundred and nineteen dogs of different age, sex and breed, in Giza and Alexandria, were used to explore the clinicopathological changes that may associate leishmania infection, and to evaluate the performance of four diagnostic techniques for canine Leishmaniasis (CanL); direct microscopic detection of L. infantum amastigotes in blood smears, a rapid immune chromate graphic test (ICT), ELISA and PCR. There was no significant difference in age or sex between the infected and non-infected dogs. Cutaneous and general clinical signs were commonly observed. Hematologically, microcytic normochromic anaemia, leucocytosis and lymphocytosis were seen. The serum biochemical changes were hypo albuminemia, hyper globulinemia and azotemia. The four diagnostic techniques; parasitological examination, ICT test, ELISA and PCR detected positive (CanL-infected) 23 dogs (19.33%), 20 dogs (16.81%), 20 dogs (16.81%) and 24 dogs (20.17%) out of the 119 studied dogs, respectively. Such results showed that the four techniques have comparable sensitivities. The study concluded that PCR was the most sensitive technique followed by the blood film examination

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