Seroepidemiological survey on canine leishmaniasis among dogs from an urban area of Brazil

A cross-sectional seroepidemiological survey on canine leishmaniasis among pet dogs was carried out in an urban area in the State of Pernambuco (Brazil) where human cases of visceral leishmaniasis have sporadically been reported. Using an indirect fluorescent antibody test, anti- Leishmania antibodi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Veterinary parasitology 2006-08, Vol.140 (1), p.54-60
Main Authors: Dantas-Torres, Filipe, Brito, Maria Edileuza Felinto de, Brandão-Filho, Sinval Pinto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age Factors
animal age
Animals
Antibodies, Protozoan - blood
antibody detection
asymptomatic infection
Brazil
Brazil - epidemiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Dog
Dog Diseases - epidemiology
Dogs
epidemiological studies
Female
fluorescent antibody technique
Fluorescent Antibody Technique - veterinary
gender differences
Leishmania
Leishmania donovani - immunology
Leishmaniasis, Visceral - epidemiology
Leishmaniasis, Visceral - veterinary
Male
pets
Risk factors
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Seroprevalence
Sex Factors
urban areas
Visceral leishmaniasis
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Summary:A cross-sectional seroepidemiological survey on canine leishmaniasis among pet dogs was carried out in an urban area in the State of Pernambuco (Brazil) where human cases of visceral leishmaniasis have sporadically been reported. Using an indirect fluorescent antibody test, anti- Leishmania antibodies were detected in 130 out of 322 dogs, confirming previous exposure to Leishmania parasites. The overall seroprevalence found was 40.3% (95% confidence interval: 34.9–45.9). Data analysis revealed that serological positivity was statistically associated with male ( χ 2 = 20.60, P-value = 0.000) and juvenile dogs ( χ 2 = 4.24, P-value = 0.039). Furthermore, it was observed that 85.3% of all seropositive dogs showed no clinical signs of leishmaniasis. The results showed a high seroprevalence of anti- Leishmania antibodies among dogs from an urban area of Pernambuco – with a large proportion of asymptomatic seropositive dogs – indicating that the prevalence of Leishmania infection in this area has been underestimated.
ISSN:0304-4017
1873-2550
DOI:10.1016/j.vetpar.2006.03.008