title: First report of vertical transmission of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum in a naturally infected bitch from Brazil.
abstract: Dogs are the most important reservoir of Leishmania (L.) infantum, the causal agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil. Vectorial infection is the main route of transmission of the parasites. This paper reports the first case of vertical transmission of L. infantum in Brazil, confirmed by PCR and immunohistochemistry techniques in samples from spleen and liver of two stillborn pups from a bitch naturally infected with L. infantum in Belo Horizonte city, endemic area of VL. This result confirms the existence of transplacental transmission of Leishmania between dogs, and suggests the need for further studies to determine the rate of occurrence of this fact in endemic areas and what is their role in the epidemiology of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. sydmagno@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sydnei Magno
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Vitor Marcio
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Raul Rio
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Wagner Luiz
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Tafuri
authors.forename: Maria Norma
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.forename: Marilene Suzan Marques
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Michalick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000662:veterinary*; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000502:physiology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013154:Spleen / Q000469:parasitology; D050497:Stillbirth / Q000662:veterinary