We uphold high standards of foxhound breeding, care, kennel management, and animal husbandry. The Foxhound Kennel Notebook is a valuable resource for hunt staff about hound welfare.
In 1980, the first case of Leishmaniasis was reported in an Oklahoma foxhound kennel. Since then, 33 states and 2 Canadian provinces have reported cases. We recognized the risk to foxhounds and all dogs.
For the past decade, the MFHA Foundation has funded research on reducing tick-borne illness and Leishmaniasis at the University of Iowa and the Petersen Lab. Complete results of the study were shared in September 2021.
An invaluable resource, the MFHA Guide to Leishmaniasis should be in every kennel. This highly informative piece addresses these concerns:
At its May 2026 meeting, the MFHA Board of Directors reviewed the organization’s policies regarding Leishmania in foxhounds. Following a review of the latest scientific research, and on the recommendation of the Veterinary Committee and the Hunting Committee, the Board determined that the existing hound show and performance trial rules no longer reflected our current understanding of how the disease is transmitted.
Please read the following letter for important updates to the MFHA rules regarding Leishmaniasis testing for Hound Shows and Performance Trials, and for an update to requirements for the Stud Book. This information is critical, and we urge you to carefully review the letter:
Dear Members,
At its May meeting, the MFHA Board of Directors reviewed the organization’s policies regarding Leishmania in foxhounds. Following a review of the latest scientific research, the Board determined that the existing hound show and performance trial rules no longer reflected our current understanding of how the disease is transmitted.
After more than 20 years of MFHA-funded research, it is now well established that the risk of Leishmania transmission at hound shows and performance trials is extremely low.
Current scientific evidence shows that Leishmania is transmitted primarily through breeding and direct blood-to-blood contact, specifically:
Research has shown that breeding infected hounds has been the primary reason the disease has persisted in the North American foxhound population since it was first identified in the 1980s. Based on these findings, the Board voted to update the MFHA Hound Show Rules, Performance Trial Rules, and Stud Book breeding requirements to reflect the best available science.
Hound Show and Performance Trial Rules
Prior to this action, the Hound Show Rules required:
“Any hunt with confirmed Leishmaniasis in their kennel must provide negative test results for each competing hound, from a licensed veterinarian, within six months of the show date.”
The MFHA Performance Trial Rules also required participating hounds to comply with all health and safety rules applicable to MFHA-sanctioned hound shows.
Effective January 1, 2028, these testing requirements for participation in hound shows and performance trials will be removed.
This decision was made because:
The Board recognizes that a small risk of blood-to-blood transmission could exist if serious fighting occurs during a performance trial. Therefore, each individual hunt should determine whether it is comfortable assuming that risk when choosing to participate.
Stud Book Breeding Requirements
The MFHA Stud Book previously contained no Leishmania testing requirements for breeding.
The Board approved the following addition to the Stud Book Rules:
(d) BREEDING. Hounds bred by a person or organization not primarily devoted to hunting acceptable quarry (fox, coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, or drag) will not be considered to have hunted for the purpose of qualifying under this rule. Further, to register a hound in the MFHA Stud Book, both its sire and dam must demonstrate a negative serology test for Leishmania from an MFHA-sanctioned laboratory within three to six months prior to breeding.
Effective Date
These changes become effective January 1, 2028.
To register puppies in 2028 and thereafter:
These policy changes align MFHA rules with the current scientific understanding of Leishmania transmission while continuing to protect the long-term health of the North American foxhound population.
Thank you for your continued support of MFHA and its commitment to science-based decision making.
List of MFHA Sanctioned Laboratories
Cornell University (Serology – ELISA):
USPS
Animal Health Diagnostic Center
Cornell University
P.O. Box 5786
Ithaca, NY 14852-5786
UPS/FedEX
Animal Health Diagnostic Center
240 Farrier Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14853
$38.50/sample
Results in 1-4 business days
Cornell Diagnostic Submission Guidance
NC State Vector Borne Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (Serology-IFA/PCR):
NCSU/CVM, VBDDL, RM462A
1060 William Moore Drive
Raleigh, NC 27607
919-513-8279
UPS or FedEX ONLY
Leishmania Profile – PCR & Serology: $72.50/sample
Serology – IFA: $40/sample
PCR: $50/sample
Results in 3-10 business days
North Carolina State Vector Borne Disease Testing Information
Texas A&M (Serology – IFA):
College Station laboratory*:
USPS
TVMDL
PO Drawer 3040
College Station, TX 77841-3040
UPS/FedEX
483 Agronomy Rd.
College Station, TX 77843
1.888.646.5623 | 979.845.3414
$38/sample (Must arrive by Tuesday through Friday)
Results in 1-4 business days
Texas A&M Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory – Leishmania IFA
Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory IFA:
1800 Denison Avenue
Mosier Hall, Room D117
Manhattan, KS 66506
866-512-5650
8 AM – 5 PM, M-F
8 AM – 12 PM, Sat
Leishmania infantum Antibody End Point IFA $80.50 (provides titer levels/dilutions until the antibodies are no longer detectable)
Leishmania infantum IFA Screen $44.50 – reported as positive or negative.
UPS or FedEX
Kansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Sample Submission Guide
The Ohio State University Veterinary Laboratory – ELISA/PCR (After August 1, 2026):
Petersen Laboratory
Dr. Luciana Richer
1900 Coffey Rd
CVM VMAB room 475
Columbus, OH 43210
Phone (901) 590 6744
richer.29@osu.edu
Send 2 cc each of blood in a purple top and red top tube.
Email tracking number for UPS or FedEX for Dr. Richer.
Monday through Thursday submission.
Cost approx. $40 PCR and $40 ELISA
For Canadian hounds, the test turnaround is approximately 25 days. Samples are not processed in Canada and are therefore sent to US accredited laboratories (such as Kansas State, Cornell or NC State).
The MFHA-funded Simparica tick-borne disease study has been published in The American Society of Microbiology’s ASM Journal, Infection and Immunity. This research was supported by the MFHA Foundation and the University of Iowa Interdisciplinary Immunology Postdoctoral Training Grant NIH/NIAID T32AI007260.
This study looked at hounds infected with Leishmania infantum, a parasite that causes a serious disease called leishmaniasis in both dogs and humans. The researchers focused on how other infections from ticks (called tick-borne coinfections, or TBCs) affect the progression of leishmaniasis in hounds.
They followed a group of hounds in an area where leishmaniasis is common from 2019 to 2022. All dogs started out with mild or no symptoms and had no tick-related infections at first. Half of the study hounds were given Sarolaner (Simparica) and half received a placebo. Over time, some dogs got tick-borne infections.
The researchers found that untreated hounds who later developed these tick infections got sicker from leishmaniasis. These dogs had more parasites in their blood, stronger antibody responses (a sign of worsening infection), and their immune systems became more exhausted and less able to fight the parasite effectively. They were also twice as likely to develop moderate to severe illness compared to dogs that didn’t get the tick infections.
In short, tick-borne infections made leishmaniasis worse. The study suggests that to protect hounds—and in turn, humans—from leishmaniasis, it’s important to also control ticks and educate the public about the connection between tick infections and worsening leishmaniasis.