RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS OF THE 28th ECVIM-CA CONGRESS

In 2016 and 2017, we analysed a total of 15449 and 17789 blood samples, respectively, for Leishmania Ab assays and a total of 712 and 786 samples, respectively, for Leishmania DNA assays. In 2016, overall 19.6% and 19.8% of the samples were Ab‐positive and DNA‐positive. In 2017, overall 21.9% and 18.6% of the samples were Ab‐positive and DNA‐positive, respectively. Specifically concerning the samples subjected to both PCR and Ab assays (129/712 in 2016; 145/786 in 2017), we observed the following Ab profiles. In 2016 and 2017, seropositivities (by Leishmania unit or LE >1.1) were 97.0% and 93.5%, respectively, in PCR+ cohorts, versus 31.6% and 32.5%, respectively, in PCR‐ cohorts. Notably, the PCR+/Ab+ cohorts showed Ab titres (mean) ~2 times higher than those of the PCR–/Ab+ cohorts (3.1 LE versus 1.7 LE). In summary, (1) PCR‐positive samples were almost 100% Ab‐positive, (2) PCR‐negative samples were ~32% Ab‐positive, and (3) in Ab‐positive cases, PCR‐positive samples had approximately twice higher Ab titres than PCR‐negative samples.