title: [Seroprevalence of canine visceral leishmaniasis in sector 8 of Neiva and in four municipalities of Huila, Colombia].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Canine visceral leishmaniasis in endemic areas of Colombia could be a public health risk factor given the zoonotic nature of the disease. Ninety-six human cases of visceral leishmaniasis were reported in Colombia in 2004, 5 of them in Huila, where Lutzomyia longipalpis has been incriminated as the main vector species.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of IgG antibodies against Leishmania chagasi in dogs from the sector 8 of the city of Neiva and the from the towns of Villavieja, Algeciras, Palermo and Rivera located in Huila, Colombia.
  
  
  METHODS
  An epidemiological survey was carried out in 610 dogs, which included clinical examination and venopuncture for obtaining blood samples. Authorization was obtained from the dog owners. The sera were analyzed by the ELISA test with promastigotes of the L. chagasi strain MHOM/CO84/CLO44B as antigen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The canine population had an average age of 2.5 years; 67.3% of the dogs were males and the cross-bred animals were the most prevalent constituting 85% of those samples. On clinical examination the main signs were onicogriphosis 24.3%, lymphadenitis 10% and skin lesions 5%. The presence of antibodies was observed in 28.1% of the dogs from sector 8 of Neiva, 28% in Villavieja, 14.9% in Rivera, 10% in Palermo and 5.1% in Algeciras. An average ratio of five people cohabitating per seropositive dog was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results reflect the exposure to Leishmania chagasi infection of dogs living in both urban and rural environments in the studied zones, and should encourage health authorities to carry out control measures to prevent the spread of this zoonotic disease.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad de La Salle, Bogotá, D. C., Colombia. josefernandezm@yahoo.com
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Felio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.forename: Myriam Consuelo
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Ligia Inés
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Moncada
authors.forename: Jimmy Jolman
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: Martha Stella
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ayala
authors.forename: Rubén Santiago
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Nicholls
authors.forename: Carlos Alberto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Lozano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000276:immunology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G