LETI Pharma promotes training on feline leishmaniasis among veterinarians in Murcia

LETI Pharma continues to collaborate with veterinary colleges to improve leishmaniasis education. On this occasion, together with College of Veterinarians of Murcia and hand in hand with Xavier Rouraupdated information on feline leishmaniasis was provided.

During the online session, Roura notes that“There has been a lot of publication recently about feline leishmaniasis, especially because it is a zoonotic disease and we need to consider the role the cat plays. lThe first thing a clinical veterinarian needs to change is to think about it and include it in the differential diagnosis.“

Describing the clinical picture of the cat, Dr. Roura notes that “The clinical picture is similar to that of a dog with cutaneous or renal manifestations, but More specific clinical signs in cats, such as gingivostomatitis or chronic rhinitis, need to be considered.“

In these cases difficulty in using indirect diagnostic tests in cats (serology), as validated criteria for dogs continue to be used. LETI Pharma reaffirms its commitment not only to the prevention of this disease, but also to the diagnosis. LetiLabLETI Pharma diagnostic service offers, among other things, direct tests such as cytology, biopsy and PCR.

Finally, Roura insists on the importance exclude the presence of other diseasessuch as feline immunodeficiency and/or feline leukemia, as more than 60% of cases occur in conjunction with leishmaniasis.

How conclusionsafter an hour of training in which they participated more than 50 veterinariansemphasizes the importance of including leishmaniasis in the differential diagnosis, especially in the most endemic areas.

Additionally, as an aspect of improvement, fine tuning specific serological tests for cat species making it easier to use as a diagnostic tool.

Finally, big problem of feline leishmaniasis is to be able to initiate clinical studies into the effectiveness and safety of available treatments.