DETECTION OF LEISHMANIA INFANTUM IN DOGS (CANIS FAMILIARIS) FROM SÃO PAULO MUNICIPALITY, BRAZIL

OBJECTIVE: Visceral leishmaniasis is caused by Leishmania infantum. In the state of São Paulo, this zoonosis is expanding to urban areas and the incidence of human disease is related to canine infection. Herein, we performed a serological and molecular diagnosis on 152 dogs (Canis familiaris) from the Grajau and Ilha do Bororé neighborhoods, in the extreme south of the São Paulo municipality, Brazil. METHODS: We observe the prevalence of L. infantum in these animals that are identified as the main reservoirs of the etiologic agent of visceral leishmaniasis. RESULTS: Serological tests showed a low positivity rate, while the molecular tests showed positive animals at 3.94% and 0.65% for the Leishmania infantum L-like cathepsin and ITS of ribosomal gene, respectively. CONCLUSION: Molecular diagnosis of 3.94% positivity suggesting the introduction of L. infantum in this locality of São Paulo, which still preserves 80% of the Atlantic Forest. Our data point to the need for effective control of infected dogs to prevent the spread of visceral leishmaniasis in humans.