Leishmania infantum INFECTION IN DOGS FROM THE SOUTHERN REGION OF MINAS GERAIS STATE, BRAZIL.
Visceral leishmaniasis is a systemic and chronic disease and dogs are the main reservoir of the etiologic agent, Leishmania infantum (syn L. chagasi). A serological and molecular investigation of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) was performed in the municipality of Alfenas, located in the southern region of Minas Gerais, where the disease is not endemic. Samples from 87 dogs were submitted to serological tests including the Dual Path Platform (DPP (r) ) CVL Bio-Manguinhos rapid test, an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and an immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT), as well as molecular techniques such as a conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the RV1/RV2 primers and a quantitative PCR (qPCR) with the LinJ31, Ldon and DNApol primers. Of the 87 serum samples, eight (9.2%) were positive for Leishmania using the DPP rapid test, but only four (4.6%) were confirmed by ELISA and two (2.3%) by IFAT. In these two serologically confirmed cases, spleen and liver samples were positive by all the employed molecular and parasitological procedures performed on spleen samples. When whole blood samples were used in the molecular assays, two samples (2.3%) were positive only by qPCR. DNA extracted and amplified from the spleens of seropositive dogs was sequenced, showing 100% of similarity with the Leishmania infantum (syn L. chagasi) sequence. Thus, the first cases of CVL have been confirmed in the Alfenas region, suggesting the importance of canine surveys in non-endemic municipalities for CVL to monitor disease progression and to prevent outbreaks.
Federal University of Alfenas, Institute of Biomedical Sciences. Alfenas, MG, Brazil.
Juliana Barbosa
JB
Nunes
University of São Paulo, College of Medicine, Department of Pathology. São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Márcia Dalastra
MD
Laurenti
Federal University of Alfenas, Institute of Biomedical Sciences. Alfenas, MG, Brazil.
Herminia Yohko
HY
Kanamura
Federal University of Alfenas, Institute of Biomedical Sciences. Alfenas, MG, Brazil.
Alessandro Antônio Costa
AA
Pereira
Federal University of Alfenas, Institute of Biomedical Sciences. Alfenas, MG, Brazil.
Fabio Antonio
FA
Colombo
Federal University of Alfenas, Institute of Biomedical Sciences. Alfenas, MG, Brazil.
Marcos José
MJ
Marques
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan