02160nas a2200229   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260007000043653003100113653002500144653002400169100001100193700001300204700001300217700001600230700001900246700001500265245010500280490000800385520152300393022001401916       2018                            d  c04/2018bSchlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KGaHannover10agranulomatous inflammation10anictitating membrane10aLeishmania infantum1 aL Zind1 aR Troyke1 aK Turban1 aD Schaudien1 aW Baumgärtner1 aF Hansmann00aAn imported case of feline leishmaniosis in Germany with a literature review on feline leishmaniosis0 v1313 aLeishmaniosis is a vector-transmitted, zoonotic, protozoal disease, which is endemic in many countries in the world, mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. In Europe, leishmaniosis induced by Leishmania infantum is endemic in countries of the Mediterranean Basin. This report describes a Leishmania infantum induced granulomatous inflammation in the nictitating membrane diagnosed in Germany in a cat from Spain six years after importation and gives an overview of the pathogenesis as well as detection of leishmaniosis in cats. This cat showed a 1 cm in diameter large nodule in the nictitating membrane which was surgically removed. Histopathology revealed a granulomatous inflammation with intrahistiocytic protozoal organisms. Protozoal organisms were identified as Leishmania spp. using transmission electron microscopy and in situ hybridisation. Sequencing of the ITS1-gene revealed a 100% sequence identity with Leishmania infantum. Sand flies of the species Phlebotomus, necessary for the vectorial transmission of Leishmania spp., have been recently present in northern parts of Europe and increase the risk for the development of autochthone cases. In non-endemic regions of northern Europe, the occurrence of the sand flies species Phlebotomus (P.) perniciosus and P. mascittii have recently been detected. The increasingly northern distribution of the vectors and the current case show that leishmaniosis is an essential differential diagnosis when nodular changes in the skin or mucosa occur in cats.  a0005-9366