ABSTRACT
Investigou-se a infecção por parasitas do complexo Leishmania braziliensis em 50 cães da cidade de Maringá, PR, onde ocorreram casos humanos de leishmaniose tegumentar americana (LTA), entre agosto e dezembro de 2006. Os casos humanos de LTA ocorreram nos anos de 2003 a 2004. Nenhum animal apresentou lesão, mas 12 (24,0 por cento) tinham sorologia e/ou PCR positivas, e a positividade tanto da IFI como da PCR foi de 14,0 por cento. Trinta e cinco animais eram de residências, e oito deles (22,8 por cento) tiveram testes laboratoriais para LTA positivos. Os outros 15 eram cães errantes, sendo que quatro deles (26,7 por cento) apresentaram PCR positiva. A presença de animais com infecção assintomática por Leishmania em área onde a LTA é endêmica pode ser um indicador do potencial de sua transmissão para o homem e uma referência para a implantação de medidas de controle e prevenção da doença.
The infection by Leishmania braziliensis complex was studied in 50 dogs from Maringá, PR, where American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL) in humans have been detected. Data were collected from August to December 2006 in an area in which ACL cases in humans were reported from 2003 to 2004. Indirect immunofluorescent test (IIF) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were applied. No lesions were found in the animals, although 12 (24.0 percent) had positive IIF and/or PCR. Positiveness was 14.0 percent for IIF and PCR. Lab tests showed that eight (22.8 percent) out of the 35 home animals were ACL positive. The other 15 animals were stray dogs, out of which four (26.7 percent) were PCR positive. The appearance of asymptomatic Leishmania-infected dogs in an ACL endemic area may be an indicator of ACL transmission potential for humans and a reference for the establishment of control measures and disease prevention.
Subject(s)
Humans , Animals , Dogs , Leishmania braziliensis/isolation & purification , Leishmaniasis/epidemiology , Protozoan Infections , Brazil/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Leishmania sp. infection was investigated in wild animals from the Ingá Park, in the municipality of Maringá, Paraná state, Brazil, where American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is an endemic disease. Sixty-five mammals, comprising Didelphis albiventris, Cerdocyon thous, Lycalopex vetulus, Cebus apella, Dasyprocta azarae, Dasypus novemcinctus, Procyon cancrivorus and Nasua nasua, were captured. Blood samples were collected for parasite cultivation. Antibodies were investigated by direct agglutination test (DAT) using Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis as antigen. Flagellates were observed in blood cultures of 14 (35.9 percent) Didelphis albiventris. Anti-Leishmania antibodies were detected in 31 (51.6 percent) specimens of Cerdocyon thous, Lycalopex vetulus, Cebus apella, Dasyprocta azarae, Procyon cancrivorus and Nasua nasua. These results suggest that Cerdocyon thous and Lycalopex vetulus (crab-eating fox), Cebus apella (capuchin monkey), Dasyprocta azarae (agouti), Procyon cancrivorus (crab-eating raccoon) and Nasua nasua (coati) play an important role in the ACL transmission cycle in the northwestern region of Paraná, Brazil.