Abstract
BackgroundThe incidence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), one of the most important neglected diseases worldwide, is increasing in Brazil. The objectives of this study were to determine the canine VL (CanL) seroprevalence in an urban area of Araçatuba municipality and to evaluate its relationship with the characteristics of dogs and their owners.ResultsThe CanL seroprevalence in the study area was 0.081 (95% credible interval [CI]: 0.068–0.096). The following covariates/categories were positively associated with the occurrence of a seropositive dog: more than 10 dogs that had lived in the house (odds ratio [OR] = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.03–5.43) (baseline: 0–10 dogs); house with dogs that previously died of VL (OR = 4.85; 95% CI: 2.65–8.86) or died of causes other than old age (OR = 2.26; 95% CI: 1.12–4.46) (baseline: natural or no deaths); dogs that spent the day in a sheltered backyard (OR = 2.14; 95% CI: 1.05–4.40); dogs that spent the day in an unsheltered backyard or the street (OR = 2.67; 95% CI: 1.28–5.57) (baseline: inside home). Spatial dependence among observations occurred within about 45.7 m.ConclusionsThe number of dogs that had lived in the house, previous deaths by VL or other cause, and the place the dog stayed during the day were associated with the occurrence of a VL seropositive dog. The short-distance spatial dependence could be related to the vector characteristics, producing a local neighbourhood VL transmission pattern. The geostatistical approach in a Bayesian context using integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) allowed to identify the covariates associated with VL, including its spatially dependent transmission pattern.
Highlights
The incidence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), one of the most important neglected diseases worldwide, is increasing in Brazil
Of the 1396 dogs with conclusive serological results, 113 were positive for VL, corresponding to a seroprevalence of 0.081
Houses with more than 10 dogs, houses with the occurrence of previous dog death by VL or a reason other than old age, and dogs that stay during the day in a sheltered backyard or in the unsheltered backyard or in the street were the covariates positively associated with the occurrence of canine VL (CanL) seropositivity
Summary
The incidence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), one of the most important neglected diseases worldwide, is increasing in Brazil. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is listed as a neglected tropical disease and is considered a public health problem worldwide. In 2014, Brazil was one of the six countries pointed out by the World Health Organization in which more than 90% of cases of this disease were reported [1]. Since the 1980s, when it was known as a rural endemic disease, VL has become endemic and epidemic in large Brazilian cities, representing a major public health problem [2, 3]. In Brazil, the main vector is the sandfly Lu. longipalpis, which is well suited to urban areas [4]. In the presence of the vector, the domestic dog is the main reservoir in urban areas [5]
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