Leishmaniasis in domestic dogs: epidemiological aspects

In Barra de Guaratiba, an endemic area for American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, control campaigns were unable to reduce canine infection rates. This difficulty prompted an in-depth study of dogs as a reservoir for Leishmania chagasi in the peri-urban environment through c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cadernos de saúde pública 2005-01, Vol.21 (1), p.324-328
Main Authors: Silva, Alba Valéria Machado da, Paula, Adelzon Assis de, Cabrera, Maria Alice Airosa, Carreira, João Carlos Araújo
Format: Article
Language:Portuguese
Subjects:
Animals
Antigens, Protozoan - immunology
Blotting, Western
Brazil - epidemiology
Disease Reservoirs
Dog Diseases - diagnosis
Dog Diseases - epidemiology
Dogs
Endemic Diseases
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
Leishmania infantum - immunology
Leishmaniasis, Visceral - diagnosis
Leishmaniasis, Visceral - epidemiology
Leishmaniasis, Visceral - veterinary
Prevalence
Risk Factors
Seroepidemiologic Studies
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Summary:In Barra de Guaratiba, an endemic area for American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, control campaigns were unable to reduce canine infection rates. This difficulty prompted an in-depth study of dogs as a reservoir for Leishmania chagasi in the peri-urban environment through clinical and serological follow-up using the immunofluorescence and Western blot techniques. Recognition of 29 kDa and 32 kDa peptides by sera from dogs with proven L. chagasi infection was observed. Furthermore, only sera from symptomatic dogs recognized the 68.5 kDa antigen, so the latter should be considered a parameter for culling dogs from endemic areas. The WB technique proved to be more sensitive than IFA, since the 29 and 32 kDa peptide fractions were even recognized by sera from AVL seronegative dogs up to 8 months before IFA seroconversion. Proximity to wooded areas was an important risk factor for L. chagasi infection in dogs, possibly due to the presence of wild reservoirs.
ISSN:0102-311X
1678-4464