Prevalence and risk factors associated with Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi infections in dogs presented at veterinary clinics in João Pessoa, Paraíba state, northeastern Brazil

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi infections in dogs presented at veterinary clinics in the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba state, northeastern Brazil. A total of 384 dogs from 34 veterinary clinics were sampled between April 2015 and May 2016. For serological diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis and Chagas disease, the indirect fluorescent antibody test was used. Reactive sera were submitted to a confirmatory test using the S7 ELISA. The seroprevalence of Leishmania spp. was 2.8% (11/384), and that of T. cruzi was 1.5% (6/384). Two animals were positive for both parasites. The variable “access to the street” was identified as a risk factor for Leishmania spp. infection (OR = 4.81; 95% CI = 1.23–18.75). We concluded that a significant proportion of dogs presented at veterinary clinics in João Pessoa are seropositive for Leishmania spp. or T. cruzi infections, and we suggest that greater care be taken with dogs that have access to the street.

High seroprevalence and associated factors for visceral leishmaniasis in dogs in a transmission area of Paraíba state, Northeastern Brazil

“…This may have been related to the fact that larger municipalities have higher socioeconomic condition, which positively influences animal basic care and is reflected in the prevalence of diseases. Brasil et al (2018) conducted a survey with dogs attended at veterinary clinics in the city of João Pessoa and found a prevalence of 2.8%, a value that is 10.4 lower than what was observed in the present study, and this may be related to the higher purchasing power of tutors who attend private clinics, positively influencing the basic care of animals and the occurrence of diseases.…”

“…We decided to use ELISA S7  as diagnostic test because it is licensed for the diagnosis of CVL by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply and is increasingly being used by researchers with purpose of detecting CVL seropositive animals (Figueiredo et al, 2014;Fernandes et al, 2016;Silva et al, 2017;Silva et al, 2018). Among the peculiarities of this test is the fact that it is highly specific, drastically reducing the cross-reactions that occur in tests that are based on whole antigen and require other complementary tests (Fernandes et al, 2016;Brasil et al, 2018). In addition, ELISA S7  allows detection of antibodies at the earliest stage of infection, increasing the sensitivity to detect asymptomatic animals.…”

“…Among the cases confirmed in this country, over 40% occur in the northeastern region (Sinan, 2017). In the state of Paraíba, recent studies have indicated the importance of dogs as a reservoir for VL, with seroprevalence values that ranged from 2.8 to 38.6% (Fernandes et al, 2016;Silva et al, 2016Silva et al, , 2017Silva et al, , 2018Brasil et al, 2018). However, there is a lack of epidemiological studies on the population of dogs in the Brejo Paraibano microregion.…”