title: The domestic dog, a potential reservoir for Leishmania in the Peten region of Guatemala.
abstract: In the present study, domestic dogs in a Leishmania endemic area in the Peten Region of Guatemala were sampled to determine if they are a potential reservoir for Leishmania parasites. Blood from 100 dogs from six villages was tested with two different antibody-capture assays for Leishmania-specific antibodies and a 28% seroprevalence was determined. Tissue scrapings from six dogs presenting with chronic lesions characteristic of Leishmania infection were sampled and four dogs were positive by a genus-specific fluorogenic PCR assay. Histopathology by giemsa stain confirmed the presence of amastigotes in one of these dogs. These findings support the hypothesis that dogs may play an important role in the transmission of Leishmania in a region where no mammal has ever been implicated as a reservoir.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Pamela R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Byron A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Arana
authors.forename: Jeffrey R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Wirtz
authors.forename: Glenn W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Wortmann
authors.forename: Nidia R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Rizzo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006166:Guatemala / Q000453:epidemiology; D006651:Histocytochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D007892:Leishmania braziliensis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan