Leishmaniasis is a "neglected tropical disease" and serious public health issue in Brazil. While dogs are recognized as particularly important reservoirs, recent reports of domestic cats infected with Leishmania sp. in urban areas suggest their participation in the epidemiological chain of the parasite in endemic areas. The aim of this study was to screen domestic cats for Leishmania sp. infection in an area where human and canine visceral leishmaniasis are endemic, followed by the identification of the species circulating in cats. We collected peripheral blood, lymph-node aspirates and bone marrow from 100 adult animals, both male and female, and analyzed the samples using cytological and molecular (PCR) detection techniques. We detected Leishmania in 6% of animals, which were then analyzed by RFLP-PCR to identify the species. Leishmania infantum (synonym: L. chagasi), a species responsible for visceral leishmaniasis in humans and other animals, was identified from all six samples. Amastigotes were observed in the peripheral blood, bone marrow and lymph-node aspirates in 4 of the 6 PCR-positive animals. The presence of infected cats in endemic areas should not be neglected, because it demonstrates the potential role of these animals in the biological cycle of the pathogen.
ARTIGO/ARTICLEAs leishmanioses são zoonoses que se apresentam sob diferentes formas clínicas, a leishmaniose tegumentar cutânea, mucocutânea e cutânea difusa, e a leishmaniose visceral 27 28 . A identificação das espécies de Leishmania que circulam em determinado foco de transmissão, particularmente em regiões onde as diferentes formas clínicas ocorrem simultaneamente, é muito importante para o conhecimento da epidemiologia das leishmanioses e planejamento de estratégias de controle 2 . Tratando-se de leishmaniose visceral nas Américas, a única espécie considerada responsável pela doença é Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi, embora já se tenha descrito Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis 5 e Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis 48 como
ABSTRACTLeishmaniases are endemic zoonoses in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. Their etiological agents in this region of Brazil are Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi, Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis and Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a tool with high specificity and sensitivity for identifying Leishmania species. This study examined 39 cryopreserved isolates of Leishmania that had been collected by bone marrow aspiration and/or lesion biopsy, depending on the clinical suspicion. The isolates were subjected to DNA extraction and PCR using the following primers: RV1/RV2 for identifying Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi, a1/a2 for Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis and b1/b2 for Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi was the only species identified in the 37 cases of visceral leishmaniasis. Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis was identified in two isolates from patients with a diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis. The results obtained confirm that it is possible to use these three pairs of primers as a tool for characterizing Leishmania isolates.
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