Leishmaniasis and dirofilariasis are parasitic diseases of humans and dogs, worldwide, and they are often found as coinfections in endemic areas. Cases of human and canine dirofilariasis have being reported in Greece and leishmaniasis is endemic in most prefectures in humans and dogs. In most cases, dirofilariasis is established by parasitological (the modified Knott's test) and/or immunological methods, whilst for leishmaniasis molecular techniques and culture are also used. During an epidemiological study in Greece, 22·1% of the 5772 dogs studied were found positive by serology for Leishmania. Blood cultures of 165 (12·94%) of these animals produced Leishmania promastigotes and 26 (2·03%) Dirofilaria microfilariae (L1), whilst only in two (0·16%) both Leishmania and Dirofilaria L1 appeared. The aim was to assess coinfections by the two parasites in dogs in Greece, the isolation and survival of Dirofilaria microfilariae and Leishmania promastigotes using clotted blood (a fast, simple and low-cost method) and the survival potential of the two parasites in coexistence, in vitro.
