title: Skin reactions to thimerosal and Leishmania in dogs from a leishmaniasis endemic area: it is better to keep them apart.
abstract: Positive Montenegro's skin test is a delayed type hypersensitivity reaction widely used as indicative of previous infection with Leishmania in both humans and dogs. Montenegro's antigen consists of a crude Leishmania antigen solution, usually containing thimerosal as preserving agent. In this work it is shown that a large proportion of dogs (11 out of 56) examined in an endemic area of leishmaniasis presented induration at the site of injection of a diluent containing thimerosal alone. This clearly demonstrates that thimerosal leads to a high number of false positive skin reactions in dogs and that its use in Montenegro's skin test antigenic preparations should be avoided.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz-Fiocruz, 40295-001 Salvador, BA, Brasil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paranhos-Silva
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Pontes-de-Carvalho
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: de Sá Oliveira
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: dos-Santos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D004285:Dogs; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary; D007891:Leishmania / Q000276:immunology*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012882:Skin Tests; D013849:Thimerosal / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical; D013849:Thimerosal