title: [Focus of canine heartworm disease in Marajó Island, North of Brazil: A risk factor for human health].
abstract: The occurrence of human pulmonary dirofilariasis maintains a relation with the prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis infection in the canine population. Several mosquito species are vectors of this nematode. Canine blood samples collected in Pingo d'Agua and União villages, Salvaterra municipality (Marajó Island, Pará), in June, 2004 (n = 34) and April, 2005 (N = 90) were analyzed. Parasitological and immunological (ELISA--kit SNAP(R) 3DX Biobrasil) diagnoses were compared following the examination of 34 samples. The prevalence in the population (N = 90) was evaluated by means of ELISA. ELISA revealed more positive samples (25/34; 73.5%) than thick smears (23/34, 67.6%) or Knott (21/34, 61.8%), but the differences were not significant (p > 0.05). The frequency of D. immitis infection was 58% in dogs ranging from 0-2 years old, whereas in older dogs it was 100%. The prevalence of canine dirofilariasis was high in Pingo d'Agua and Vila União (53.5%), indicating the risk of parasite transmission to the people in this area.
authors.affiliation: Seção de Parasitologia, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde do Ministério da Saúde, Belém, PA. lourdes.garcez@iec.pa.gov.br
authors.forename: Lourdes Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Garcez
authors.forename: Nazaré Fonseca
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Eduardo Ferreira
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Mota
authors.forename: Luís Antonio Jerônimo
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Dickson
authors.forename: Wandercleyson Uchoa
authors.initials: WU
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.forename: Vânia de Fátima do Nascimento
authors.initials: Vde F
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
authors.forename: Patrick Abdala Fonseca
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Gomes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004183:Dirofilaria immitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004184:Dirofilariasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008174:Lung Diseases, Parasitic / Q000635:transmission; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000947:Antigens, Helminth