Serological detection of antibodies anti-Leishmania infantum in dogs attended at a veterinary school hospital

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a zoonosis that currently ranks among the six endemics considered priority in the world. In Brazil, the geographic distribution of this disease increases every year, in dogs as well as in the human population. The State of Santa Catarina was considered area without previous cases for visceral leishmaniasis until 2010 when the first autochthonous cases were described in canines in the capital of the state. Based on the recent case in the State, the objectives of this study were to determine the percentage of serum sera in anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies among those seen at the University Veterinary Hospital in Canoinhas, Santa Catarina State, Brazil and to verify the owners’ knowledge about aspects of transmission, diagnosis and prophylaxis of canine visceral leishmaniasis. The animals were submitted to a physical examination and then a blood sample was collected without anticoagulant, the serum being obtained by centrifugation. Serum antibody detection was done by the Indirect Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (SNAP Leishmania® Idexx) and Dual Plate Platform (DPP® Biomanguinhos/Fiocruz) tests. Simultaneously, the owners answered a questionnaire to determine the socioeconomic profile and knowledge about visceral leishmaniasis. Although the veterinary hospital receives animals from several cities in the northern region of Santa Catarina and even southern Paraná, no animal among the 72 examined between June and December 2016 was reagent to the rapid tests. Most of the owners were unaware of the existence of the disease and had no information about the means of transmission and its consequences. It is concluded that although the tested animals are not serum reagents, it is necessary a broader communication of the disease, since at the moment it is common the transit of animals between regions, either by the trade or change of domicile of the owners. Leishmaniasis is an important zoonosis that is spreading every day, mainly because of the difficulties inherent in your vector control. It is the responsibility of veterinarians, according to the concept of unique health, search for cases and to publish information on how to prevent this zoonotic disease.

Keywords: Visceral Leishmaniasis. Dogs. Immunochromatographic test. Enzyme immunoassay.