[Seroprevalence of canine visceral leishmaniasis in sector 8 of Neiva and in four municipalities of Huila, Colombia].
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.
Fernández
José
J
Grupo de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad de La Salle, Bogotá, D. C., Colombia. josefernandezm@yahoo.com
Bello
Felio
F
López
Myriam Consuelo
MC
Moncada
Ligia Inés
LI
Vargas
Jimmy Jolman
JJ
Ayala
Martha Stella
MS
Nicholls
Rubén Santiago
RS
Lozano
Carlos Alberto
CA
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
D007074:Immunoglobulin G