Dynamics of Leishmania spp. infection in dogs from an unaffected region in transition to a visceral leishmaniasis transmission area, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Canine Parvovirus 2 in Free-Living Wild Mammals from Southern Brazil

“…Although B. vogeli and L. infantum have previously been demonstrated in mammals from this geographic region in Brazil (Gottlieb et al 2016;Malheiros et al 2016;de Souza et al 2022), we did not detect these in either dogs or wild mammals. More epidemiologic studies are needed to monitor these pathogens, which are a One Health concern (Donalisio et al 2017).…”

“…Domestic dogs ( Canis lupus familiaris ) live in close contact with wild mammals in southern Brazil, the livestock and agriculture region of the Pampa Biome. These dogs can be infected with hemopathogens (such as Babesia vogeli , Leishmania infantum , and Ehrlichia canis , among others) transmitted by vectors (Lasta et al 2013; Malheiros et al 2016; de Souza et al, 2022). The protozoan B. vogeli and the bacterium E. canis are vectored by ticks ( Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato and Amblyomma sp.)…”

Anti-Leishmania spp. antibody detection in domestic cats from a visceral leishmaniasis transmission area

“…That is the case in this VL transmission area, where in 2021, anti-Leishmania spp. antibodies were detected in 23% (250/1087) of canine serum samples (Souza et al, 2022), while 11,05% (43/389) of the cats in our study were seropositive. A cross-reaction between L. infantum and other dermotropic Leishmania strains and Trypanosoma spp.…”

“…Perhaps the absence of feline leishmaniosis cases in new transmission areas may be due to the lack of awareness among dog owners regarding canine leishmaniosis itself, with most dogs not wearing repellent collars. Despite being considered a L. infantum transmission area, infections are relatively recent, with a signi cant increase in the number of cases since 2018 (Souza et al 2022). Furthermore, in Brazil, the Ministry of Health estimates that for each human case of visceral leishmaniasis, 200 dogs have to be infected by L. infantum (SES 2020).…”

“…In 2018, when the samples were rst collected, nine dogs were necropsied with leishmaniosis as the cause of death or the reason for euthanasia. In comparison, in 2021, 41 cases were registered, representing an increase of over 300% in the number of fatal cases (Souza et al 2022), demonstrating the increasing expansion of the canine disease. Additionally, the municipality also registered two cases of human visceral leishmaniasis in 2020 and 2021 (CEVS 2021), and one of the cases resulted in the death of a man with a history of comorbidities and a situation of social vulnerability.…”