RISK FACTORS TO LEPTOSPIROSIS, LEISHMANIASIS, NEOSPOROSIS AND TOXOPLASMOSIS IN DOMICILIATED AND PERIDOMICILIATED DOGS IN BOTUCATU-SP

Abstract

The high susceptibility of human beings and some domestic animals, particularly dogs, to toxoplasmosis, leishmaniosis and leptospirosis, ensure these infections as important zoonosis in tropical regions, with dogs as intermediary hosts and sentinels or reservoirs to human beings. It was evaluated the frequency of antibodies of these pathogens in the canine population of two poor regions of Botucatu, SP, and was analized the risk factors and the health professional’s knowledgement degree directed to the studied infections to owners, health agents and local health professionals, verifying the risk factors that the human beings are exposed. Domiciliated and peridomiciliated canine sera samples, living in the studied region were screened to the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) for the detection of IgG antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Leishmania spp. To leptospirosis, the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) was used to detected Leptospira spp antibodies.