Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a zoonosis caused by Leishmania infantum chagasi. The canids play an important role in its epidemiology as they are natural reservoirs. The present study aimed to investigate canine VL (CVL) in dogs from the city of Goiania. A group of 214 dogs (symptomatic and asymptomatic) was assessed. Blood samples, skin biopsies and lymph node aspirates were collected from the animals. Twenty dogs were positive by immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) while only 6 presented amastigotes in the direct microscopic examination (DME). The PCR tests, employed only for symptomatic animals or for those classified as positive by at least one of the two previous methods (n=81), were positive for 7 dogs. Positive samples by the DME were also positive by PCR. Only 7 out of 20 IFAT positive samples were confirmed by PCR. Species-specific PCR results confirmed the molecular identity of L. i. chagasi in these 7 animals. Among the samples confirmed by PCR, two corresponded to the first autochthonous cases of CVL, in the municipalities of Caldas Novas and Novo Brazil, and emphasized the urgent need to enhance control strategies for CVL in these localities. The study revealed the existence of CVL cases in dogs attending veterinary clinics in the city of Goiania.
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