The first records of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis in dogs (Canis familiaris) diagnosed clinically as having canine visceral leishmaniasis from Araçatuba County, São Paulo State, Brazil.
Two cases of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis are reported in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). These are the first records of this parasite in this species. The animals lived in the endemic visceral leishmaniasis area of Araçatuba, São Paulo State, Brazil and were initially diagnosed, on clinical grounds, as having visceral leishmaniasis. Attempted parasite isolation from inguinal lymph node aspirates was unsuccessful and the indirect immunofluorescent test for visceral leishmaniasis was negative in both cases. Parasites were seen in cytological preparations of their lymph nodes and the DNA obtained from these same tissues produced the expected fragment in a Leishmania specific rDNA based PCR assay. The products only hybridized with the L. (L.) amazonensis specific probe S8. No human cases of L. (L.) amazonensis have been reported in this region. These results suggest that L. (L.) amazonensis is being transmitted in the peridomestic habitat and that this parasite is responsible for a clinical condition that is similar to visceral leishmaniasis caused by L. (L.) i. chagasi that is present in the same area.
Tolezano
José E
JE
Seção de Parasitoses Sistêmicas, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 351 8o andar, 01246-902 São Paulo, SP, Brazil. tolezano@hotmail.com
Uliana
Sílvia R B
SR
Taniguchi
Helena H
HH
Araújo
Maria F L
MF
Barbosa
José A R
JA
Barbosa
José E R
JE
Floeter-Winter
Lucile Maria
LM
Shaw
Jeffrey J
JJ
D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004285:Dogs; D007891:Leishmania / Q000145:classification*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*