PREVENTION OF FELINE LEISHMANIOSIS

It is advised to protect (in endemic areas):

  • Individual cats from the risk of developing infection and clinical disease.

  • Feline population to improve the control of L. infantum infection in the vector.

  • General prevention of sand fly bites is based on the same procedures as for dogs.

  • Topical insecticides
    Insecticides currently available for cats have no demonstrated effect in preventing the bites of sandflies.

  • Most pyrethroids are toxic for cats. Flumethrin collar is at present the only pyrethroid formulation licensed for cats and it was able to reduce the incidence of L. infantum in cats in a field study.

  • Test blood donors by antibody detection and blood PCR.

 
prevention of feline leishmaniosis
Female Phlebotomus perniciosus unfed