title: Description of six autochthonous cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis diagnosed in Pedregulho (São Paulo, Brazil).
abstract: Visceral leishmaniasis is an infectious disease of chronic, emerging and zoonotic nature that presents various degrees of severity. In Brazil, this illness is caused by Leishmania infantum (Leishmania chagasi), which is transmitted by the bite of the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis, and dogs are its main reservoir. Given the increasing spread of this disease across Brazil, the aim of this study was to report on six cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis, diagnosed in June 2013, in the city of Pedregulho, State of São Paulo, considered to be a non-endemic area and free of phlebotomine sand flies. The diagnosis was based on clinical signs of the patients and additional tests (serological and parasitological). It was concluded that the diagnosis of leishmaniasis is complex because the clinical signs are similar to other systemic diseases, thus justifying the importance of parasitological test of bone marrow, considered "gold standard", in the confirmation of the disease. In addition, the area was not, until now, considered risk place, despite notification.
authors.affiliation: Clínica Veterinária São Francisco, Franca, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cássia Regina
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: de Abreu
authors.affiliation: Clínica Veterinária São Francisco, Franca, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Cláudia
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Parpinelli
authors.affiliation: Curso de Pós-Graduação em Dermatologia Veterinária, Equalis Ensino e Qualificação Superior, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Romeika Reis
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luis Gustavo Gosuen Gonçalves
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.affiliation: Universidade de Franca, Franca, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucas de Freitas
authors.initials: Lde F
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Universidade de Franca, Franca, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Gosuen Gonçalves
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Dias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D018314:Leishmania infantum; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*