title: Serosurvey for Leishmania spp., Toxoplasma gondii, Trypanosoma cruzi and Neospora caninum in neighborhood dogs in Curitiba-Paraná, Brazil.
abstract: Neighborhood dogs may act as reservoirs for several zoonotic protozoan infections, particularly in urban areas, thus constituting a potential public health threat. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the exposure of neighborhood dogs to four protozoan pathogens in public areas with high levels of human movement in Curitiba, southern Brazil. Blood samples from 26 neighborhood dogs were screened by means of the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) for Leishmania spp., Toxoplasma gondii, Trypanosoma cruzi and Neospora caninum, and a questionnaire was answered by the respective keeper. A total of 8/26 dogs (30.7%) seroreactive to T. gondii, 3/26 (11.5%) to N. caninum and 2/26 (7.7%) to both were identified. All the samples were seronegative for T. cruzi and Leishmania spp. Pathogen seroreactivity was not associated with the daily human movements or other epidemiological variables investigated (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the low seroprevalence for T. gondii and N. caninum indicated low environmental and food risk for animal infection and the seronegativity for Leishmania spp. and T. cruzi may reflect the absence of these pathogens in urban areas of Curitiba. Moreover, neighborhood dogs may be used as environmental sentinels for the presence of protozoan pathogens and their vectors.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Zoonoses e Epidemiologia Molecular, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Constantino
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Zoonoses e Epidemiologia Molecular, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maysa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pellizzaro
authors.affiliation: Rede de Defesa e Proteção Animal, Departamento de Pesquisa e Conservação da Fauna, Secretaria Municipal de Meio Ambiente, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Edson Ferraz Evaristo de
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Paula
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Zoonoses e Epidemiologia Molecular, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Thállitha Samih Wischral Jayme
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ana Pérola Drulla
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Brandão
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Zoonoses e Epidemiologia Molecular, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Rafael Felipe da Costa
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisa em Zoonoses - NUPEZO, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Campus de Botucatu, Botucatu, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Helio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Langoni
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Zoonoses e Epidemiologia Molecular, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Alexander Welker
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Biondo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology*; D007891:Leishmania / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018688:Neospora / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan