Prevalence of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in dogs in an endemic area of Brazil.

Abstract

The northeast region of Brazil is endemic for zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of infection in dogs in Petrolina. Blood samples were collected from dogs (n = 600), and bone-marrow biopsy was performed in animals with positive serological test results that presented clinical signs of ZVL. The serological analyses were performed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (S7(r)Biogene). Of the 600 dogs tested, 19% (115/600) presented anti-L. infantum chagasi antibodies. Our data are important because canine infection is an important risk factor for the human disease.