Canine visceral leishmaniasis in Barra de Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: assessment of risk factors

Barra de Guaratiba is a coastal area of the city of Rio de Janeiro where American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) is endemic. Although control measures including killing of dogs and use of insecticides have been applied at this locality, the canine seroprevalence remains at 25 percent and during 1995 and 1997 eight autochthonous human cases were notified. In order to evaluate factors related to the increase of the risk for Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi infection in dogs we have screened 365 dogs by anti-Leishmania immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and captured sandflies in the domestic and peridomestic environment. Some variables related to the infection were assessed by uni- and multivariate analysis. The distance of the residence from the forest border, its altitude and the presence of the opossum Didelphis marsupialis in the backyard, were found predictor factors for L. (L.) chagasi infection in dogs in Barra de Guaratiba. The presence of Lutzomyia longipalpis in the peridomestic environment indicates the possibility of appearence of new human cases. Our data also suggest the presence of a sylvatic enzootic cycle at this locality

Epidemiological survey of canine population with the use of immunoleish skin test in endemic areas of human american cutaneous leishmaniasis in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Um inquerito epidemiologico em populaçäo canina foi realizado em 7 localidades endemicas de Leishmaniose Tegumentar Americana (LTA) entre os anos de 1986 a 1993, no Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Duzentos e setenta caes foram examinados, segundo os parametros: clinicos, desenvolvimento de hipersensibilidade tardia e dosagem de anticorpos por imunofluorescencia indireta (IFI). 28,2 por cento dos animais possuiam lesöes e 3,3 por cento eram portadores de cicatrizes compativeis com infecçäo previa de Leishmania sp. De um total de 98 lesoes ulceradas detectadas, 39,5 por cento eram cutaneas unicas, 25,0 por cento lesöes cutaneas multiplas, 31,6 por cento lesöes de mucosa e 4,0 por cento lesöes de mucosa associadas a lesöes cutaneas...