Factors associated with Leishmania chagasi infection in domestic dogs from Teresina, State of Piauí, Brazil Fatores associados à infecção por Leishmania chagasi em cães domiciliados de Teresina, Estado do Piauí, Brasil

• Main Authors: João Pereira da Silva, Guilherme Loureiro Werneck, Emanuelle Cardoso Macedo, Hanny de Carvalho, Maria do Socorro Pires e Cruz
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2012
• Subjects: Leishmaniose visceral canina; Fatores de risco; Epidemiologia; Estudos caso-controle; Vigilância epidemiológica; Canine visceral leishmaniasis; Risk factors; Epidemiology; Case-control study; Epidemiological surveillance; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/0df0a56744254aac928bc8cd82305311

INTRODUCTION: Many studies have evaluated risk factors for human visceral leishmaniasis, but few have focused on the infection among dogs. The objective of this study was to assess the association between peridomestic socioeconomic and environmental factors and the presence of dogs seropositive for Leishmania chagasi in the City of Teresina, Brazil. METHODS: This case-control study was based on the results of a routine seroepidemiological survey among domestic dogs carried out in 2007. Serological tests were performed by means of indirect immunofluorescence antibody test. All dwellings in which at least one seropositive dog was detected were considered cases, and controls were a random sample of dwellings in which only seronegative dogs were identified. Associations between variables were expressed as odds ratios (OR) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) estimated using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Dwellings with a history of dogs removed by the visceral leishmaniasis control program in the last 12 months had five-fold higher odds of having at least one seropositive dog as compared with dwellings having no history of dog removal (OR = 5.19; 95%CI = 3.20-8.42). Dwellings with cats had 58% increased odds of dog infection as compared with those having no cats (OR = 1.58; 95%CI = 1.01-2.47). CONCLUSIONS: Identification of factors associated with canine visceral leishmaniasis might be used for the delimitation of areas of higher risk for human visceral leishmaniasis, since infection in dogs generally precedes the appearance of human cases. INTRODUÇÃO: Diversos estudos avaliaram fatores de risco para leishmaniose visceral humana, mas poucos focalizaram a infecção canina. O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar a associação entre condições sócio-ambientais peridomiciliares e a presença de cães sorologicamente positivos para Leishmania chagasi em Teresina, Brasil. MÉTODOS: Estudo caso-controle baseado nos resultados de inquérito soroepidemiológico de rotina entre cães domésticos no ano de 2007. ...