Point-of-care serology in feline leishmaniosis: A diagnostic gap requiring species-specific solutions

ABSTRACT Feline leishmaniosis (FeL) caused by Leishmania infantum is increasingly recognised as a clinically and epidemiologically relevant condition in endemic regions. However, unlike canine leishmaniosis, rapid point-of-care serological testing has not become an established component of routine feline diagnostic workflows. This gap is important because feline immune responses to L. infantum differ from those observed in dogs, while the performance of serological methods varies substantially according to assay format and host-specific characteristics. We argue that FeL requires species-adapted point-of-care serology rather than direct extrapolation of canine diagnostic platforms. Such assays should not be considered stand-alone tools for confirming clinical disease, but rather first-line triage tests integrated into a multimodal diagnostic pathway. Their validation should include well-characterised clinical populations, assessment of low-level antibody responses, cross-reactivity and reproducibility, and methodologies capable of addressing the absence of a perfect diagnostic gold standard. The principal unmet need is therefore not simply the availability of another rapid test, but the development and rigorous validation of feline-specific assays that can improve early clinical recognition and appropriately guide confirmatory investigation.