SEROPREVALENCE AND CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF DOMICILED DOGS (CANIS LUPUS FAMILIARIS) CLOSE TO A HUMAN CASE OF VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS

Abstract

Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) is a disease with a great impact on public health in Brazil due to its zoonotic potential. One of the biggest challenges in controlling the disease is the fact that its main reservoir in urban areas is the domestic dog, and thus, it is a source of infection that lives very close to the human being. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of L. chagasi and the symptoms of CVL present in dogs living near a human case confirmed by the Municipal Health Department of the municipality of Vassouras. Blood samples were collected from the cephalic vein of 14 resident dogs within a radius of 150 meters from a confirmed human case. This collected material was submitted to the DPP screening test, and the positive samples were submitted to the ELISA confirmatory test. Information was also obtained through questionnaires about the presence of the disease's clinical signs. Of the 14 animals tested in the DPP, only 4 were positive in the screening test, and all presented negative results in the ELISA confirmatory test. Of the 14 dogs, 4 had symptoms. Of these, 2 presented skin lesions, and 1 animal showed cough, while the last one exhibited vomiting. It is concluded that the DPP screening test for CVL is a practical and easy to handle method, although it requires attention due to the possibility of cross-reaction with other etiological agents in dogs. The human case is probably a result of a non-autochtone infection. Therefore, asymptomatic dogs should be under disease surveillance since these hosts also act as a source of infection for vector insects.