Seroepidemiological survey of Leishmania infantum infection in dogs from northeastern Portugal

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2011

Authors

Susana Sousa (Author) Other; Ana Patricia Lopes (Author) Other; Luis Cardoso (Author) Other; Ricardo Silvestre (Author) Other; Henk Schallig (Author) Other; Steven G Reed (Author) Other; Anabela Cordeiro da Silva (Author) FFUP

Journal

Title: Acta Tropica

Vol. 120 No. 1-2

Pages: 82-87

ISSN: 0001-706X

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 11 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 15 Citations

Pubmed / Medline

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Health sciences

CORDIS: Health sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-M4K

DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2011.06.003

Resumo (PT): Northeastern Portugal is a region where canine leishmaniasis (CanL) is endemic. In this study, a sero-epidemiological survey was conducted in 654 dogs from that geographical area. Serum samples were evaluated by the direct agglutination test (DAT) and also by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using five different defined antigens. Seroprevalence of infection was 21.3% based on the assumption that seropositive animals were positive for at least three tests. A high degree of agreement was found between DAT and LAM-ELISA (89%; kappa value [κ] = 0.67). A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) of seropositivity was found between adult (23.4%) and juvenile dogs (12.2%), apparently healthy (14.8%) and sick dogs (40.2%), vaccinated (19.7%) and non-vaccinated (41.2%) animals, seropositive (26.9%) and seronegative (18.0%) for Toxoplasma gondii, living in rural (18.5%) or urban (32.6%) areas, and between animals living exclusively outdoors (18.2%) and those living in a mixed habitat (27.5%). Risk factors for canine Leishmania infection, as defined by multiple logistic regression analysis, were of clinical status (odds ratio [OR] = 3.1) and Toxoplasma infection (OR = 1.5). <br> <br> Keywords Leishmania infantum; Dogs; Seroprevalence; DAT; ELISA <br> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001706X11001860"> Texto integral </a> <br>

Abstract (EN): Northeastern Portugal is a region where canine leishmaniasis (CanL) is endemic. In this study, a seroepidemiological survey was conducted in 654 dogs from that geographical area. Serum samples were evaluated by the direct agglutination test (DAT) and also by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using five different defined antigens. Seroprevalence of infection was 21.3% based on the assumption that seropositive animals were positive for at least three tests. A high degree of agreement was found between DAT and LAM-ELISA (89%; kappa value [kappa]= 0.67). A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) of seropositivity was found between adult (23.4%) and juvenile dogs (12.2%), apparently healthy (14.8%) and sick dogs (40.2%), vaccinated (19.7%) and non-vaccinated (41.2%) animals, seropositive (26.9%) and seronegative (18.0%) for Toxoplasma gondii, living in rural (18.5%) or urban (32.6%) areas, and between animals living exclusively outdoors (18.2%) and those living in a mixed habitat (27.5%). Risk factors for canine Leishmania infection, as defined by multiple logistic regression analysis, were of clinical status (odds ratio [OR] = 3.1) and Toxoplasma infection (OR= 1.5).

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6