title: Prevalence of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in dogs in an endemic area of Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The northeast region of Brazil is endemic for zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of infection in dogs in Petrolina.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples were collected from dogs (n = 600), and bone-marrow biopsy was performed in animals with positive serological test results that presented clinical signs of ZVL. The serological analyses were performed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (S7(r)Biogene).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 600 dogs tested, 19% (115/600) presented anti-L. infantum chagasi antibodies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data are important because canine infection is an important risk factor for the human disease.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Estudos Superiores de Maceió, Maceió, Alagoas, BR.
authors.forename: Danillo de Souza
authors.initials: Dde S
authors.lastname: Pimentel
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, BR.
authors.forename: Rafael Antonio Nascimento
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, BR.
authors.forename: Marília de Andrade
authors.initials: Mde A
authors.lastname: Santana
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Cuité, Paraíba, BR.
authors.forename: Carina Scanoni
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.affiliation: Unidade Acadêmica de Garanhuns, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Garanhuns, Pernambuco, BR.
authors.forename: Gílcia Aparecida
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, BR.
authors.forename: Hernande Pereira
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, BR.
authors.forename: Leucio Câmara
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Alves
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; D005260:Female; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000276:immunology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan