Pesquisa de anticorpos IgG anti-Leishmania infantum em raposas (Cerdocyon thous) de vida livre e de cativeiro e em cães domésticos (Canis familiaris) em Unidades de Conservação do Estado de Pernambuco

Abstract

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a zoonosis transmitted by sand flies caused by several Leishmania species and that can infect humans and domestic and wild animals. In Brazil, the growth in the number of cases of Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis (CVL) is associated with the adaptation of its vector and dispersion of Leishmania infantum among domestic and wild hosts in urban and periurban areas. The objective of this work contribute to the epidemiological study of CVL in the state of Pernambuco by identification of the frequency IgG antibodies anti-Leishmania infantum in free-living and captives crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous) and domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) from Conservation Unit of the State of Pernambuco and its surroundings. Blood samples were obtained of 107 animals, 18 crabeating foxes (four free-living and 14 captives) and of 89 dogs (85 domiciled and four strays). Bone marrow samples were obtained of nine crab-eating foxes and three dogs. The IFAT and ELISA were performed on blood samples of 107 dogs and PCR was performed on 12 samples of bone marrow. Of the 18 crab-eating foxes examined, one (5.5%) were seropositive to the ELISA and 89 dogs examined, 29.21% were positive by IFAT, 35.95% positive by ELISA and 19.10% were positive in both tests simultaneously. None of the samples was positive by PCR. It is concluded that the presence of IgG antibodies anti-L. infantum in a free-living crabeating fox and in a stray dog in the wild environment suggested the existence of a local sylvatic cycle of Leishmania infantum in one of the areas of study. The presence of seropositive dogs inside and around of these wild areas indicated that animals can act as dispersers of the infectious agent to humans and to the non-infected dogs. This is the first occurrence of IgG antibodies to Leishmania infantum in free-living crab-eating fox and dogs trapped inside of the Conservation Units of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil.