LEISHMANIASIS

 Also called SANDFLY DISEASE

Leishmania (donovani) is a prototozoa ( a one celled organism) that infects the white bloodcells, destroys them and induces an immunologic reaction in dogs.

HOW CAN MY DOG GET IT?

The prototozoa Leishmania spp is transmitted by a vector Phlebotomus (a large mosquito with long stripy hairy wings). Like any mosquito it needs water and vegetation to breed. As the Mediterranean area has both these and also the ideal temperature (Malaga province in particular) it is very common in this area. At dusk and dawn mosquitos are most active and they are drawn to sandy areas where the heat lingers longer - hence the name 'sandfly'. The female sandfly bites to feed on a leishmania infected dog and ingests the leishmania protozoa. On the next feed she will inject the protozoa - which has changed inside the sandfly to the infectious amastigote - in to another dog.