Investigation of Leishmania species in cats of Hatay province by PCR method

Öz

With this study, it was aimed to determine the prevalence of leishmania species in cats in Hatay province and also to illuminate relationship between some individual characteristics and the disease. In the research, 100 cats were examined, which brought to Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Stray Animal Care and Rehabilitation Center and Hatay Mustafa Kemal University Veterinary Health, Practice and Research Hospital from different regions of Hatay province for diagnosis. Blood samples were taken from all animals. In addition, lymphatic fluid was taken from those who were found to have lymph enlargement. Smears were drawn from blood samples, inoculated on Roswell Park Memorial Institute 1640 medium, and Polymerase Chain Reaction was performed. Of the cats sampled in the study, 59% were female, while 41% were male. The mean age (X) and standard deviation (SD) of the cats were found to be 3.32 ± 1.5, respectively (min: 0.5; max: 7). As a result of the analysis of the samples obtained from 100 cats examined of different ages and genders with different diagnostic methods, the prevalence of Leishmania spp. in cats in Hatay province was found that 0%. Although gender was not associated with the appearance of clinical findings (P> 0.05), clinical findings in cats increased significantly with increasing their age (P < 0.01). Although positive cats with Leishmania spp. were not detected in our study, it should not be ignored that cats may also be reservoirs, especially in endemic regions. Recently, feline leishmaniasis cases reported from endemic areas are important for public health. Evaluation of domestic or stray cats living in these regions will contribute to the literature on transmission, immunopathogenesis, management and treatment of cat infections. The role, these animals can play in the leishmaniasis cycle, should not be underestimated. The role of cats as a reservoirs should be further explored.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Cat
• Hatay
• Leishmaniasis
• PCR
• Prevalence.

HATAY İLİ KEDİLERİNDE LEİSHMANİA TÜRLERİNİN PZR YÖNTEMİYLE ARAŞTIRILMASI

Öz

Bu çalışma ile Hatay ilindeki kedilerde leishmania türlerinin prevalansını hesaplamak ve bazı bireysel özelliklerle hastalık arasındaki ilişkiyi açıklığa kavuşturmak amaçlandı. Araştırmada Hatay ilinin farklı bölgelerinden Hatay Büyükşehir Belediyesi Sahipsiz Hayvan Bakım ve Rehabilitasyon Merkezi'ne ve Hatay Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi Veteriner Sağlık, Uygulama ve Araştırma Hastanesi’ne teşhis amacıyla getirilen 100 kedi incelendi. Tüm hayvanlardan kan örneği alındı. Ayrıca lenf büyümesi tespit edilenlerden lenf sıvısı alındı. Kan örneklerinden ince yayma preparatlar hazırlandı, Roswell Park Memorial Institute 1640 besi yerine ekimi yapıldı ve Polimeraz Zincir Reaksiyonu uygulandı. Kedilerde klinik bulguların yaş ile ilişkisinde veriler normal dağılım koşulunu sağlamadığı için parametrik olmayan ve iki değişken arasındaki ilişkinin yön ve derecesini ortaya koyan Spearman korelasyon katsayısı kullanıldı. Cinsiyetle klinik bulgular arasındaki ilişki analizi kategorik değişkenler arasındaki bağımlılığı test eden Ki Kare yöntemiyle değerlendirildi. Analizler Windows SPSS 22.0 yardımıyla gerçekleştirildi ve P < 0.05 çıkan test sonuçları anlamlı kabul edildi. Çalışma kapsamında örneklenen kedilerin %59’u dişiyken, %41’i erkekti. Kedilerin yaş ortalaması (X) ve standart sapması (SD) sırasıyla 3.32 ± 1.5 olarak tespit edildi (min: 0.5; max:7). Farklı yaş ve cinsiyetlerden örneklenen 100 kediden alınan numunelerin farklı tanı yöntemleri ile yapılan analizleri sonucu Hatay ilinde kedilerde Leishmania prevalansının %0 olduğu bulundu. Her ne kadar cinsiyet ile klinik bulguların ortaya çıkışı arasında bir ilişki olmasa da (P> 0.05) yaş arttıkça klinik bulgularda da anlamlı biçimde artış olduğu (P < 0.01) saptandı. Çalışmamızda Leishmania spp., pozitif kedi saptanmasa da, özellikle endemik bölgelerde kedilerin de rezervuar olabileceği göz ardı edilmemelidir. Son dönemlerde özellikle endemik bölgelerden bildirilen kedi leishmaniasis vakaları halk sağlığı açısından önemlidir. Bu bölgelerde yaşayan evcil veya sokak kedilerinin değerlendirilmesi kedi enfeksiyonlarında bulaşma, immünopatogenez, yönetim ve tedavi hakkında literatüre katkı sağlayacaktır. Bu hayvanların leishmaniasis döngüsünde oynayabilecekleri rol küçümsenmemelidir. Kedilerin rezervuar olarak rolü daha fazla araştırılmalıdır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Hatay
• Kedi
• Leishmaniasis
• PZR
• Prevalans

Kaynakça

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