Research Article Hematological, Biochemical, and Serological Findings in Healthy Canine Blood Donors after the Administration of CaniLeish„ Vaccine Chiara Starita, Alessandra Gavazza, and George Lubas Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Via Livornese Lato Monte, San Piero a Grado, 56122 Pisa, Italy Correspondence should be addressed to Alessandra Gavazza; agavazza@vet.unipi.it Received 29 October 2015; Revised 13 April 2016; Accepted 27 April 2016 Academic Editor: Timm C. Harder Copyright © 2016 Chiara Starita et al. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Te aim of the study was to evaluate hematological, biochemical, and serological fndings in healthy canine blood donors afer the administration of CaniLeish5 vaccine. Twenty-seven client-owned dogs were included in the study and arranged into 3 groups according to the vaccination stage. Complete blood count (CBC) with blood smear examination, serum biochemical profle (SBP), serum protein electrophoresis (SPE), and serological tests for L. infantum were performed at diferent times. Additionally, in a subgroup of dogs IgA, IgM, and IgG were quantifed. No statistical signifcance for CBC and SBP was found. In 10.7% of cases slight hyperproteinemia occurred. In SPE absolute values -1-globulins (Group 2 and Group 2-3) and -2-globulins (Group 3) were found modifed ( < 0.05). IgG values were statistically diferent ( < 0.05) 6–8 months afer the third immunisation (Group 2) and IgM and IgG values were statistically diferent afer 2 months (Group 3). IFAT positive samples were 20.8% (Group 1), 15.0% (Group 2), and 52.8% (Group 3). Speed Leish K6 tests were always negative. Te modifcations found were probably attributed to the development of immune or infammatory response due to the vaccine. Administration of CaniLeish vaccine in canine blood donors could be a safe practice and did not afect their health status. 1. Introduction Canine leishmaniosis is caused by an intracellular protozoan called Leishmania infantum transmitted by sand fies of the genus Phlebotomus. Te progression from infection to clinical disease occurs if the canine cell-mediated immune response is inadequate and the parasite increases in number within macrophages in many organs and tissues [1]. Te prevention of canine leishmaniosis requires a com- bined approach including measures focused both on dogs and on environment [2–4]. A canine vaccine that modulates cell-mediated immune response against the protozoan has been available in Italy since 2012 (CaniLeish, Virbac, France). It reduces the risk of developing, afer the contact with the parasite, from an active infection to a symptomatic disease [5–7]. In addition, it may help those dogs that get infected despite vaccination, as suggested by a recent study using xenodiagnosis, since disease severity appears to be generally associated with high parasite loads in the skin and their infectivity [8]. Hence, the control of leishmaniosis is particularly impor- tant in canine blood donors because the risk of transmis- sion of infectious agents through transfused blood prod- ucts from blood donors, that are carriers of infection, is demonstrated [9–11]. Overall, protozoan diseases have long incubation periods, subclinical persistence in infected ani- mals, and likelihood of remaining viable in bloodstocks [10, 11]. Te recently revised Italian guidelines about veterinary transfusion medicine established by the Ministry of Health [12] stated that blood donor dogs should be healthy ani- mals and should undergo complete clinical examination and laboratory tests including hematobiochemical profle and serological assay, using IFAT, or PCR for Leishmania infan- tum, Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Rickettsia rickettsii, and Babesia canis [13]. Hindawi Publishing Corporation Veterinary Medicine International Volume 2016, Article ID 4601893, 6 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/4601893