Circulation of spotted fever group rickettsiae among dogs seropositive for Leishmania spp. in an urban area of Brazil

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Sabrina Destri Emmerick Campos, Niara Vanat Nadal, Helena Keiko Toma, Adilson Benedito de Almeida, Matheus Dias Cordeiro, Adivaldo Henrique da Fonseca, Fabiano Borges Figueiredo, Maurício Afonso Verícimo, Nathalie Costa da Cunha, Nádia Regina Pereira Almosny
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2019
• Subjects: Indirect immunofluorescence assay; Vector-borne diseases; Zoonosis; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0133-2018; https://doaj.org/article/8a81bbe8d71a4cf1ba651ca44e9cd8eb

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Dogs play an epidemiological role in several vector-borne diseases that affect human and animal health worldwide. We aimed to identify rickettsial circulation among dogs with canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) from a region endemic for both diseases. METHODS: CVL-seropositive dogs were screened for spotted fever group rickettsiae using an indirect immunofluorescence assay. RESULTS: Among the CVL-positive dogs, anti-Rickettsia rickettsii antibodies were identified in one asymptomatic and one oligosymptomatic dog. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows low circulation of antibodies to R. rickettsii in CVL-seropositive dogs. It is recommended that surveillance studies in dogs should continue in order to monitor this scenario.