RESEARCH FOR Toxoplasma gondii, Leptospira spp. AND Leishmania spp. ANTIBODIES IN DOGS FROM PARDINHO, SÃO PAULO

Abstract

The dog, with the growing approach to the integration between human, animal and environmental, has been standing out as a potential reservoir or sentinel to the epidemiological chain of some specific zoonoses, due to its importance as a member of the current family nucleus. The present study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors to toxoplasmosis, leptospirosis and canine visceral leishmaniasis (LVC) in 181 dogs from Pardinho, SP, Brazil., included on a Population Control Program carried out by the local Health Surveillance Service. Serum samples were researched for Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) and Leishmania spp. IgG antibodies using the indirect immunofluorescence test (IFAT), whereas Leptospira spp. antibodies using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Additionally, an epidemiological questionnaire related to the studied zoonoses was applied to the owners to verify the epidemiological association of the risk factors to the serological results. For leptospirosis, seropositivity was in 7/181 (3.87%; 95%CI 1.5-7.8%) animals resulted reagent, with Canicola as the prevalent serovar (5/7, 71.43%), followed by Icterohaemorrhagiae (1/7, 14.29%) and Pyrogenes (1/7, 14.29%). For toxoplasmosis, 17/181 (9.39%; 95%CI 5.6-14.6%) samples resulted positive, presenting titer 16 (8/17, 47.05%), titer 64 (7/17, 41.17%), titer 256 (1/17, 5.89%), and titer 4096 (1/17, 5.88%). On the other hand, no sample resulted positive for Leishmania spp. antibodies. In this way, this study reports the unprecedented record of the circulation of T. gondii and Leptospira spp. among dogs in the studied area. This demonstrates the importance of serological surveys on dogs during population control programs. The need for epidemiological surveillance actions and the importance of the dog as sentinel are highlighted, due to the importance of controlling these and other zoonoses relevant to public health.