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Table 2 Prevalence of Leishmania infantum infection in cats in the Old World (countries listed in geographical order from East to West)

From: LeishVet update and recommendations on feline leishmaniosis

Country (area)

No. of cats (type)

Seroprevalence (test)

PCR prevalence (sample)

Combined prevalence of infection

Prevalence of clinical signs in positive cats

Reference

Iran (Fars and East Azerbaijan provinces)

40 (stray)

27.5 % (IFAT and DAT)

NA

NA

NA

[27]

Iran (Fars and East Azerbaijan provinces)

40 (stray)

NA

7.5 % (liver and spleen)

10.0%a

25.0 % (cutaneous)

[94]

Israel (Jerusalem)

104 (mainly stray)

6.7 % (ELISA)

NA

NA

14.3%b (cutaneous)

[30]

Egypt (Ismailia governorate)

80 (stray)

3.8 % (IHAT)

NA

NA

NA

[106]

Egypt (Suez governorate)

28 (stray)

3.6 % (IHAT)

NA

NA

NA

[6]

Egypt (Giza governorate)

60 (mixed)

10.0 % (IHAT)

NA

NA

NA

[4]

Greece (Thessaloniki)

284 (stray)

3.9 % (ELISA)

NA

NA

0.0 %

[107]

Greece (Thessaloniki)

389 (stray/feral)

21.6 % (IFAT)

NA

NA

19.0 % (compatible)

[108]

Greece (Macedonia and Thessaly)

100 (domestic)

11.0 % (IFAT and ELISA)

41.0 % (skin, bone marrow, blood and conjunctiva)

46.0 %c

39.1 % (cutaneous, ocular or systemic)

[88, 99]

Albania (Tirana surroundings)

146 (stray)

0.7 % (IFAT)

0.0 % (blood)

0.7 %

0.0 %

[109]

Italy (Sicily)

93 (mixed)

59.1 % (IFAT)

NA

NA

0.0 % (cutaneous)

[35]

Italy (Catania and Messina provinces, Sicily)

89 (mixed)

68.5 % (IFAT)

60.7 % (blood)

85.4 %

NAb

[32]

Italy (Liguria and Tuscany)

110 (domestic)

0.9 % (IFAT)

NA

NA

0.0 %

[26]

Italy (Abruzzo)

203 (mixed)

16.3 % (IFAT)

45.5 (blood), 100 % (lymph node)d

NA

66.4 % (heterogeneous)

[110]

Italy (Ischia island, Campania)

95 (mixed)

9.5 % (IFAT)

5.3 (blood), 0.0 % (bone marrow)

13.7 %

0.0 %

[77]

Italy (Calabria and Sicily)

431 (mixed)

6.9 % (IFAT)

7.8 % (blood), 11.7 % (lymph node), 16.7 % (conjunctival swabs)

13.9 %

NAe

[24]

Italy (Greater Milan)

233 (stray)

25.3 % (IFAT)

0.0 % (blood)

25.3 %

79.7 % (heterogeneous)b

[111]

France (Nice surroundings)

97 (stray)

12.4 % (WB)

NA

NA

0.0 %

[12]

Spain (Barcelona and Girona provinces)

117 (domestic)

1.7 % (ELISA)

NA

NA

NA

[112]

Spain (Aragon)

50 (domestic)

42.0 % (DAT)

NA

NA

100 % (immune dysfunction)

[113]

Spain (Catalonia and Mallorca island)

445 (mixed)

5.3–6.3 % (ELISA)f

NA

NA

NAb

[22]

Spain (south)

183 (domestic)

28.3–60.0 % (IFAT)f

25.7 % (blood)

70.6 %

NA

[114]

Spain (Barcelona)

100 (domestic)

NA

3.0 % (blood)

NA

100 % (ND)

[29]

Spain (Madrid community)

233 (domestic)

1.3–4.3 % (IFAT)f

0.4 % (blood)

1.7–4.7%f

66.7 % (heterogeneous)b

[78]

Spain (Ibiza island)

105 (stray/shelter)

13.2 % (ELISA)

8.7 % (blood)

15.4 %

25.0 % (cutaneous)g

[25]

Spain (Mallorca island)

86 (stray/feral)

15.7 % (WB)

26.0 % (blood)

25.6 %

0.0 %

[95]

Spain (Madrid community)

20 (breeding cats)

15.0 % (IFAT)

NA

NA

0.0 %

[115]

Spain (Madrid community)

680 (mixed)

3.7 % (IFAT)

0.6 % (blood)

NA

NAe

[33]

Spain (Madrid community, Guadalajara and Toledo provinces)

346 (stray)

3.2 % (IFAT)

0.0 % (blood)

3.2 %

9.1 % (compatible)b

[34]

Portugal (Lisbon region)

23 (stray)

20.0 % (IFAT)

30.4 % (blood)

34.8 %

0.0 % (compatible)

[96]

Portugal (northeast)

316 (domestic)

2.8 % (ELISA and DAT)

NA

NA

11.1 % (ND)b

[23]

Portugal (Lisbon region)

180 (stray)

0.6 % (IFAT)

NA

NA

0.0 % (compatible)

[116]

Portugal (Lisbon region)

142 (domestic)

1.3 % (IFAT)

20.3 % (blood)

20.4 %

NA

[97]

Portugal (North and Centre regions)

320 (domestic)

NA

0.3 % (blood)

NA

0.0%b

[117]

Portugal (Lisbon and Algarve regions)

649 (mixed)

NA

9.9 % (blood)

NA

27.3 % (compatible)b

[98]

Portugal (Algarve)

271 (mixed)

3.7 % (DAT)

NA

NA

NA

[118]

  1. aPCR results in combination with those from liver and spleen touch smears and cultures; bNo statistical association between clinical status and prevalence of infection/exposure; cNegative results of lymph node, bone marrow, skin and conjunctiva cytology; dPCR performed only for 11 seropositive cats; eStatistical association between clinical status and both seroprevalence and combined prevalence; fDifferent prevalences obtained with different ELISA techniques or IFAT cut off; gStatistical association between clinical status and seroprevalence; DAT: direct agglutination test (cut-off titre: 1:100 or 1:800); ELISA: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (different techniques); IFAT: immunofluorescence antibody test (cut-off titre ranging from 1:2 to 1:100); IHAT: indirect haemagglutination test (cut-off titre: 1:32); NA: not assessed/available; ND: clinical signs not described; PCR: polymerase chain reaction; WB: western blot