Serological, clinical and histopathological changes in naturally infected dogs with Leishmania infantum in the khemisset province, Morocco

Canine leishmaniasis (canL) is widespread in the north of Morocco and the L eishmania infantum local strains are highly virulent. An epidemiological su rvey was carried out in 1993-1995 in the Khemisset province. In this region , the severity of the disease was assessed during regular visits to the ide ntified foci by clinical examination of 323 dogs. Clinical signs were prote an and occurred in various combinations. Biopsies were made on available si ck dogs; the main histological changes were severe infiltration of the sple en, lymph nodes and bone marrow by mononuclear cells and hyperplasia of mac rophage cells with amastigotes in their cytoplasm. The seroprevalence among 323 dog sera tested by ELISA showed a rate of 16.71%. The highest prevalen ce of the disease was 23.6% in the Sid El Ghandour hamlet. A comparison of the results of this study with those from the year following the first exam ination on the same site (Sid El Ghandour) of 67 dogs showed that the disea se prevalence had not increased significantly (23.6% to 25.33%).