Description of six autochthonous cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis diagnosed in Pedregulho (São Paulo, Brazil).

Cássia Regina De Abreu,Romeika Reis De Lima,Lucas De Freitas Pereira,Luis Gustavo Gosuen Gonçalves Dias,Ana Cláudia Parpinelli,Fernanda Gosuen Gonçalves Dias

doi:10.1590/s1984-29612015025

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.

Highlights

The leishmaniases are a group of diseases caused by more than thirty species of the genus Leishmania, many of which are anthropozoonoses (FERREIRA et al, 2012)
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

Summary

Introduction

The leishmaniases are a group of diseases caused by more than thirty species of the genus Leishmania, many of which are anthropozoonoses (FERREIRA et al, 2012). Leishmaniasis can be classified as cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral, the last of which presents the greatest severity and being most fatal (WHO, 2010; MARCONDES et al, 2011). In this context, dogs may present either the cutaneous or the visceral form. In Brazil, canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) is caused by the protozoon Leishmania infantum (BANETH, 2006); the sand www.cbpv.com.br/rbpv v. Description of six autochthonous cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis fly Lutzomyia longipalpis is the vector, and dogs are considered to be the main reservoir (GONTIJO & MELO, 2004). Leishmaniasis was once considered to be a rural disease, it has been spreading in urban areas. Together with their dogs, fleeing poverty, malnutrition and poor housing conditions, situations of illiteracy, environmental changes (deforestation and construction of dams) and migration of nonimmune people to endemic areas all contributed towards the emergence of the disease in the northern, southeastern and central-western regions in 2000 (WHO, 2010)

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