Valadares, D.G., et al. LeishTec vaccination disrupts vertical transmission of Leishmania infantum. PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2025 Jul 30.

Valadares, D.G., et al. LeishTec vaccination disrupts vertical transmission of Leishmania infantum. PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2025 Jul 30. PMID: 40737310

• LeishTec is a recombinant vaccine adjuvanted with Quil A for dogs that prevents and treats canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL), a parasitic disease transmitted by sand flies. The vaccine was licensed in Brazil in 2014 and is based on the Leishmania A2 antigen combined with a saponin adjuvant. 

• This research investigates the effect of vaccinating infected female dogs with the Leishmania A2 protein vaccine, LeishTec, on preventing vertical transmission of Leishmania infantum to their puppies. 
• The findings demonstrate that offspring born to vaccinated, infected dams are less likely to test positive for Leishmania and have a longer time to disease manifestation compared to pups from unvaccinated dams. The study suggests that vaccinating infected mothers before or during pregnancy can significantly reduce the vertical transmission of the parasite, thereby disrupting one of the key routes maintaining canine leishmaniasis within populations. 
• This immunotherapeutic strategy not only decreases the likelihood of puppies testing positive for the parasite but also extends the time before disease manifestation, thereby disrupting a critical transmission route. These findings support the potential use of maternal vaccination as a valuable tool in controlling canine leishmaniasis and suggest that incorporating such immunotherapy could significantly enhance disease management and reduce zoonotic risk, particularly in regions with limited vector transmission. Further, larger-scale studies are recommended to validate these results and assess their integration into broader public health interventions.

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