Seroepidemiological Survey of Paracoccidioidomycosis Infection Among Urban and Rural Dogs from Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

There is some evidence that dogs can be naturally infected by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis in endemic areas of paracoccidioidomycosis. In order to evaluate canine infection with this fungus, a survey with 149 urban and 126 rural dogs was carried out using ELISA and intradermal tests with the gp43 antigen of P. brasiliensis in Uberaba, Minas Gerais state of Brazil. Forty-one out of 149 urban dogs were euthanatized and had their lungs, liver and spleen removed. One slice from each viscera was processed for histopathological examination and the remaining was homogenized and then cultivated on mycobiotic agar at room temperature and Fava-Netto medium at 35 degrees C and observed for 12 weeks. Of urban dogs, 75 (50.3%) were small adult females, 56 (36%) were strays, while 93 (64%) had been donated to the municipal zoonosis control center. Nine (6.2%) had a positive intradermal test without statistical differences regarding gender, race, nutritional status or origin. No colonies with microscopic or morphology appearances resembling P. brasiliensis were isolated, nor granulomatous process or fungal structures were observed from histopathological examination. Eighty (53.6%) of the urban dogs presented seroreactivity, without statistical differences regarding gender, race, nutritional state, origin, or positive intradermal test. Of 126 rural dogs, 102 (80.5%) presented antibodies against gp43 antigen, and this was statistically significant in relation to the reactivity detected in urban dogs (P = 0.0001). Thus, dogs are commonly infected with P. brasiliensis, but they probably present natural resistance to develop paracoccidioidomycosis.

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis infection in dogs from Western Brazilian Amazon

“…In this study the infection by P. brasiliensis was evaluated in dogs from the Brazilian Western Amazonian region. The positivity observed by ELISA in this study is similar to other seroepidemiological studies of paracoccidioidomycosis in urban dogs from Paraná (Ono et al 2001) and Minas Gerais (Fontana et al 2010) Brazilian states, which reported positivity rates of 51.5% and 53.7%, respectively.…”

“…The lack of reactivity observed in the immunodiffusion test probably is due its lower sensitivity when compared with ELISA and suggests that dogs were infected by P. brasiliensis but without disease as observed in other seroepidemiological studies (Ono et al 2001, Fontana et al 2010. Individuals living in paracoccidioidomycosis endemic areas are frequently infected by P. brasiliensis although most of them will not develop the disease (Franco 1986).…”

“…Epidemiological studies have shown that paracoccidioidomycosis occurs in several species of domestic and wild animals such as dogs (Mós & Fava-Netto 1974, Ono et al 2001, Silveira et al 2006, Canteros et al 2010, Fontana et al 2010, cows (Silveira et al 2008), horses (Conti Diaz et al 1972, Costa & Fava-Netto 1978, Corte et al 2009), armadillos (Fernandes et al 2004), sheep (Costa & Fava-Netto 1978, Oliveira et al 2011, monkeys (Corte et al 2007), guinea pigs, raccoons, grisons, porcupine (Richini-Pereira et al 2008) and chickens (Gonçalves et al 2011). The fungus was also isolated from armadillos (Naiff et al 1986, Bagagli et al 1998, Corredor et al 1999, Silva-Vergara et al 2000 penguin faeces (Gezuele 1989), and recently, natural paracoccidioidomycosis was reported in two dogs (Ricci et al 2004, Farias et al 2011), a cat (Gonzalez et al 2010) and a two-toed sloth (Trejo-Chávez et al 2010).…”

“…Several decades later the natural infection by P. brasiliensis was reported in dogs from São Paulo (74.3-78.2%), Paraná (14.8-89.5%), Mato Grosso do Sul (67.8%), Minas Gerais (53.7%), in Brazil (Mós & Fava-Netto 1974, Ono et al 2001, Silveira et al 2006, Fontana et al 2010 and Argentina (2.2%) (Canteros et al 2010).…”

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis infection in domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

“…The infection of domestic and wild animals by P. brasiliensis occurs frequently as reported in several epidemiological studies with dogs, horses, cattle, sheep, chickens, goats coati‐mundi, felines, monkeys and armadillos, although natural disease was reported only in two dogs, a cat and a southern two‐toed sloth …”