RESUMO
The diagnosis and control of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) has fundamental importance in the control of human visceral leishmaniasis. In this context, the immunochromathographic test (ICT) has emerged as a valuable diagnostic tool. Currently, in Brazil, the algorithm for the diagnosis of CVL uses Dual Path Platform (DPP) ICT as a screening test and ELISA as a confirmatory test. However, the DPP(®) ICT has been facing a problem of insufficient production to meet the national demand. Here, the Alere™ canine visceral leishmaniasis ICT was tested with serum samples from 159 dogs, including symptomatic, asymptomatic and healthy dogs, characterized by DPP(®) ICT and ELISA (panel A), or ELISA and Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) (panel B), and parasitological examination as gold standard. In this study, the Alere™ ICT obtained 0.974 sensitivity for panel A and 0.854 sensitivity for panel B. The specificity was 1.0 for both panels. Thus, the Alere™ ICT has potential to be used for the serological diagnosis of CVL.
