A serological and molecular investigation of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in dogs, three years after an outbreak in the Northwest of Paraná State, Brazil

Abstract

Classic and molecular (polymerase chain reaction - PCR) techniques were used to diagnose American cutaneous leishmaniasis in 149 dogs from an area in the northwest of Paraná State, Brazil, where an American cutaneous leishmaniasis outbreak occurred in 2002. The results were compared to a set of previously obtained results. Twenty-five dogs had positive indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) (titers > 40), including two animals with suggestive lesions. The percentage of dogs with positive IIF was similar to that found in a previous study. The cultures of the lesion, blood and bone marrow were negative for Leishmania. A direct search for the parasite in the lesions proved negative, although PCR tests were positive. The PCR did not detect the DNA of Leishmania (Viannia) in the blood, even for those that had positive PCR in a previous study. The follow up of the 27 dogs showed that the majority of them had maintained the same levels of antibodies that had been detected previously. There was a reduction in the number of dogs with lesions, probably due to the transmission control measures that were adopted after the outbreak.

Molecular and Serological Evidence of Leishmania Infection in Stray Dogs from Visceral Leishmaniasis–Endemic Areas of Bangladesh

“…This might be attributable to a past infection that was controlled via an immune response, as discussed elsewhere. 34 However, the possibility of false-positive results of each diagnostic test should also be considered, which might have led to the discrepancies among the diagnosing tests. For example, Mohammadiha and others reported that 3.6% (1/28) and 10.7% (3/28) of dogs from Leishmania nonendemic areas were positive by real-time PCR and ITS-based PCR, respectively.…”

Environmental and Animal Characteristics as Factors Associated with American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Rural Locations with Presence of Dogs, Brazil

“…Some authors consider dogs to be secondary reservoirs of the parasite [12], [14], [37], playing some role in the cycle [15], [25], [26], [38], as a link between wild and domestic cycles [39] or as a risk factor for human disease [40]. Reithinger & Davies [41] report that current evidence on the role of domestic dogs as reservoir hosts for the domestic transmission of ACL is circumstantial.…”

“…For the PCR, the primers MP3H (5′-GAA CGG GGT TTC TGT ATG C-3′) and MP1L (5′-TAC TCC CCG ACA TGC CTC TG-3′) were used, which amplify a 70-bp fragment of the minicircle of the kDNA of parasites of the subgenus Leishmania (Viannia) [19] and the reaction was performed following the method described by Massunari et al [15].…”

“…Few investigations have addressed risk factors [6], [7], such as the distance of residences from forest area, and fewer still have addressed bodies of water, domesticated animals, vegetation and housing conditions as risk factors for the disease [8], [9]. In the state of Paraná, studies have reported ACL infection in dogs [10]–[15], equines [16] and wild animals [17].…”

Epidemiological profile of cutaneous leishmaniasis in an endemic region in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

“…Some authors have only isolated parasites from skin lesions (MADEIRA et al, 2005(MADEIRA et al, , 2006CASTRO et al, 2007). Moreover, Castro et al (2007) suggested that dogs are not good reservoirs for L. (V.) braziliensis and Massunari et al (2009) suggested that dogs have a secondary role in the transmission cycle of this parasite. As seen with human infection, the results from diagnostic tests on animals are discrepant, thus raising doubts regarding their validity (UCHÔA et al, 2001).…”