title: Seroprevalence and risk factors for canine visceral leishmaniasis in the endemic area of Dias D'Avila, State of Bahia, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an important zoonosis in relation to public health systems. Dogs are the main domestic reservoir. This study aimed to investigate occurrences of canine VL in Dias D'Avila, State of Bahia, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prevalence was evaluated by means of clinical and laboratory tests on a population of 312 domestic dogs from 23 localities in this municipality, using indirect immunofluorescence and immunoenzymatic assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the animals examined, 3.2% and 6.7% showed signs of VL, confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence and immunoenzymatic assays, respectively, with a distribution of 29.9% (24 dogs) in the rural zone and 4.9% (288 dogs) in the urban zone (p = 0.001). The clinical evaluation on seropositive dogs showed both asymptomatic animals (2.4%) and symptomatic animals (47.6%), along with other abnormalities (e.g. normocytic and normochromic anemia, with leukocytosis and thrombocytopenia). Observations relating to phenotypic characteristics (e.g. sex, age, breed and hair) did not present statistical significance, although high seropositivity among male, short-haired and mixed-breed dogs was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings showed that VL was a predominantly rural zoonosis and that close contact between poultry and domestic dogs significantly increased the risk of canine infection in this region.
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Laura Cristina Pinho de
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Rondinelli Ribeiro de
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Carlos Roberto
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Eliame
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mouta-Confort
authors.forename: Jorge Alberto
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Fernanda Washington de
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Mendonça-Lima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000662:veterinary; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D012424:Rural Population; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan