High frequency of visceral leishmaniasis in dogs under veterinary clinical care in an intense transmission area in the state of Tocantins, Brazil

• Published in: Ciência Rural
• Main Authors: Helcileia Dias Santos, Samara Rocha Galvão, Francisca Elda Ferreira Dias, Taiã Mairon Peixoto Ribeiro, Osmar Negreiros Filho, Sebastiana Adriana Pereira Sousa, Silvia Minharro
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Universidade Federal de Santa Maria
• Subjects: Leishmaniose visceral; citodiagnóstico; fatores de risco; prevenção e controle; Agriculture; S; Agriculture (General); S1-972; Canis lupus
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-8478cr20160260; https://doaj.org/article/84479a4cf6f4489596191998d8b5d35a

ABSTRACT: A direct search for parasites were used as the diagnostic test to determine the frequency of Leishmania spp. infection in dogs ( Canis lupus familiaris ) under veterinary clinical care in the city of Araguaína, Tocantins, Brazil. For this approach, lymph node cell samples were collected using needle aspiration from 649 dogs of different breeds and ages. Two hundred and sixty four (40.7%) dogs tested positive for amastigote forms of Leishmania spp. Furthermore, 202 (76.5%) dogs that tested positive showed some clinical sign of disease, while 62 (28.4%) dogs were asymptomatic. Dogs <2 years old or those that lived alongside poultry species in peri-domicile areas had a greater chance of infection (P<0.05). Our results revealed the importance of frequently monitoring leishmaniasis in dogs, and the need to train veterinary professionals who work in high-transmission areas on the clinical diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis.