Serodiagnosis of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis in human and canine populations living in Indigenous Reserves in the Brazilian Amazon Region.

Julia Teresa Ribeiro De Lima,Antonio Francisco Malheiros,Antonio Humberto Hamad Minervino,Herbert Sousa Soares,Solange Maria Gennari,Márcia Dalastra Laurenti,Marcelo Bahia Labruna,Arlei Marcili,Rodrigo Martins Soares,Rosangela Zacarias Machado,Fernando Silveira Marques

doi:10.1590/0037-8682-0377-2016

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is endemic to the Northern, Northeastern, Central-Western, and Southeastern regions of Brazil. We aimed to assess the epidemiological situation of leishmaniasis in humans and dogs in indigenous villages located in the States of Mato Grosso and Tocantins using a serological survey conducted in May 2011. Serum samples were collected from 470 humans and 327 dogs living in villages of the Urubu Branco and Tapirapé Karajá indigenous reserves. The samples were analyzed for the presence of Leishmania spp. antibodies using the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with a crude antigen (CA) and soluble antigen (SA), and Dual Path Platform (DPP®) immunoassay for canine visceral leishmaniasis. Of 470 human samples tested, two (0.4%) were positive using IFAT. Among 327 dog samples tested, 28 (8.6%) were positive using ELISA CA, five (1.5%) using ELISA SA, two (0.6%) using IFAT, and none using DPP® immunoassay with Leishmania infantum chagasi antigen. When Leishmania amazonensis antigen was used, 20 (6.1%) samples were positive using ELISA CA and four (1.2%) using IFAT. There was a low prevalence of infection in the region, and significant differences among the main serological methods used for the diagnosis of leishmaniasis. These findings indicated that the detection of Leishmania spp. requires further study and improvement.

Highlights

Leishmaniasis is endemic to the Northern, Northeastern, Central-Western, and Southeastern regions of Brazil
Among the 114 dogs living in the Urubu Branco indigenous reserve, five (4.4%) presented reactive results for L. infantum chagasi when tested using the enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) crude antigen (CA) technique, versus three (2.6%) that presented with optical density (OD) higher than the cutoff point when tested using the ELISA soluble antigen (SA) technique
indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) showed that two dogs (1.8%) were reactive to L. infantum chagasi at the 1:40 dilution level

Summary

Introduction

Leishmaniasis is endemic to the Northern, Northeastern, Central-Western, and Southeastern regions of Brazil. Conclusions: There was a low prevalence of infection in the region, and significant differences among the main serological methods used for the diagnosis of leishmaniasis These findings indicated that the detection of Leishmania spp. requires further study and improvement. In Brazil, the cutaneous form of the disease is caused mainly by Leishmania braziliensis, Leishmania guyanensis, and Leishmania amazonensis, while Leishmania infantum chagasi is responsible for the visceral form[2,3]. These diseases are endemic in the Northern, Northeastern, Central-Western, and Southeastern regions of Brazil, making it necessary to conduct serological investigations with the aim of understanding the. Knowledge of the epidemiological situation of this disease is of great importance so that prevention and control measures can be put in place by healthcare authorities

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