Variables associated with the prevalence of anti-Leishmania spp. antibodies in dogs on the tri-border of Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil.

Renata Cristina Ferreira Dias,Stela Silva Desto,Fernanda Pinto Ferreira,Aline Kuhn Sbruzzi Pasquali,Roberta Lemos Freire,Ricardo Cancio Fendrich,Italmar Teodorico Navarro,Eliane Maria Pozzolo,Vanete Thomaz-Soccol,Regina Mitsuka-Breganó,Alceu Bisetto Júnior,Luciana Chiyo,Silvana Maria Alban

doi:10.1590/s1984-296120180055

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of anti-Leishmania spp. antibodies in dogs from localities in the city of Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná state, Brazil, on the border with Argentina and Paraguay. Blood samples dogs were collected to perform the following serologic tests: immunochromatographic DPP® rapid test, indirect immunoenzymatic assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). In 2012, 285 dogs were analyzed on Argentina border, and in 2013, serum samples from 396 dogs on the border of Paraguay were collected. Using ELISA for screening and IFA for the confirmatory test, the results showed that the antibody prevalence was 1.8% (5/285) on the border of Argentina and 3.0% (12/396) on Paraguay border. When using the DPP® for screening and ELISA as a confirmatory analysis, we observed a seroreagent prevalence in dogs of 2.5% (7/285) on Argentina border and 5.1% (20/396) on Paraguay border. The non-public collection of domestic waste (p= 0.0004) was shown to be associated with leishmaniasis. This study shows the presence of leishmaniasis and suggest the emergence of canine visceral leishmaniasis in state of Paraná due to the confirmed occurrence of seroreactive dogs on Argentina and Paraguay border, which has environmental and geographical characteristics that favor the spread of the parasite.

Highlights

Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a disease with global distribution
The incidence of VL in humans is related to the number of canine visceral leishmaniasis cases and the presence and density of sand fly species competent to transmit the parasite from dogs to humans (WERNECK, 2014; ORTIZ & ANVERSA, 2015)
Of the 285 dogs analyzed for anti-Leishmania spp. antibodies on the border of Argentina, 3.2% (9/285) were reagent for the DPP test, 30.5% (87/285) for the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and 4.6% (13/285) for immunofluorescence assay (IFA)

Summary

Introduction

Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a disease with global distribution. In the Americas, the etiological agent responsible for this disease is the protozoan Leishmania infantum (Kinetoplastida, Trypanosomatidae) (NICOLLE, 1908; LAINSON & SHAW, 1987; READY, 2014). In Brazil, female phlebotomine sand flies of the species Lutzomyia longipalpis are the main vector responsible for the transmission of L. infantum (LAINSON & RANGEL, 2005). This vector was first identified in the southern region of Brazil in São Borja, Rio Grande do Sul (RS), in 2009, but the first canine case was reported in 2008 (SOUZA et al, 2009; FIGUEIREDO et al, 2012). Reports in Paraguay display an increase in the incidence of human VL (HVL), with the disease appearing in the province of Alto Paraná, a region bordering Foz do Iguaçu (CANESE, 2010; PARAGUAY, 2011). On the Argentina border of Foz do Iguaçu, in the city of Puerto Iguazú, the presence of the vector Lu. longipalpis was verified in a study conducted in 2010 (SALOMÓN et al, 2011), and in 2013, the DNA presence of L. infantum was confirmed in samples of dogs from this city (ACOSTA et al, 2015)

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