Investigations on mediterranean Kala Azar. VI.—Canine visceral leishmaniasis

Abstract

Following the discovery of canine visceral Leishmaniasis in Tunis by Nicolle and Comte (1908), an extensive literature has developed dealing particularly with the possible relationship between human and canine Leishmaniasis. Most authors, following Nicolle, consider Leishmania infantum , to be the causative organism of both human and canine Kala Azar. In the case of cutaneous Leishmaniasis, L. tropica has been conclusively proved by direct experiment to be the causative organism in both man and dog (1930), but in this case there is no evidence that the dog serves as a reservoir of the human disease. It is more likely that where human and canine cutaneous Leishmaniasis co-exist, human beings serve as a reservoir from which dogs are infected (1929). It is, however, difficult to carry out similar direct experiments with visceral Leishmaniasis, for human adults are naturally immune to Mediterranean Kala Azar.