title: Use of parasitological culture to detect Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi in naturally infected dogs.
abstract: In Brazil, although the domestic dog is a major target for the control actions for visceral leishmaniasis, knowledge gaps of the Leishmania species present in those animals still exist in many endemic areas. The objective of this study was the use of parasitological culture as a diagnosis tool and identification of species of Leishmania and other trypanosomatids in the canine population in the city of Cuiaba/Mato Grosso. Biological samples such as blood, intact skin fragments, cutaneous ulcers, and bone marrow were collected during a cross-sectional study and cultured on biphasic medium (Novy-MacNeil-Nicolle [NNN]/Schneider's). Leishmania isolates were characterized through isoenzyme electrophoresis. Isolates were obtained from 11.2% (n=54) of the 482 animals studied considering the different anatomical sites investigated. Leishmania chagasi was confirmed in 8.3% (n=40) dogs and Trypanosoma caninum in 2.9% (n=14). The sample of intact skin presented a higher chance of isolation of L. chagasi in symptomatic dogs and bone marrow in asymptomatic dogs (p<0.05). The results presented in this study emphasize the value of culture and confirm, for the first time, the circulation of L. chagasi in the canine population in different neighborhoods of the city of Cuiaba and broaden the knowledge of the geographical distribution of T. caninum in Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Programa de pós-graduação em Pesquisa Clínica em Doenças Infecciosas, Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Arleana do Bom Parto Ferreira
authors.initials: Ado B
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.forename: Valéria Régia Franco
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: Eveline da Cruz Boa
authors.initials: Eda C
authors.lastname: Sorte
authors.forename: Fabiano Borges
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.forename: Daphine Ariadne Jesus
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: de Paula
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda Aranega
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Pimentel
authors.forename: Valéria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dutra
authors.forename: Maria de Fátima
authors.initials: Mde F
authors.lastname: Madeira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000469:parasitology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000662:veterinary; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D004586:Electrophoresis / Q000662:veterinary; D005843:Geography; D007891:Leishmania / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012867:Skin / Q000469:parasitology