Canine visceral leishmaniasis in the Krenak indigenous community, Resplendor, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, 2007

The authors conducted a cross-sectional study of the local canine population in the Krenak indigenous community to detect parasites of the genus Leishmania and identify the circulating species and the proportion of asymptomatic dogs, while investigating associations between canine infection and the dogs' sex, age, and hair length. A seroepidemiological survey was performed, including 63 dogs. All the animals underwent clinical examination to verify the presence of characteristic signs, and serum samples were taken for serological tests (ELISA, IIF). Infected dogs culled by the health service were necropsied and the material was analyzed using molecular diagnostic techniques. The cross-sectional study detected a 46% prevalence rate, and the circulating species was Leishmania (L.) chagasi. The statistical analysis showed no association between infection and the independent variables. The study generated data on the epidemiological situation with canine infection in the area, which was previously unknown

Antibody · Asymptomatic · Biology · Canine leishmaniasis · Cross-sectional study · Environmental health · Indigenous · Leishmania · Leishmania chagasi · Leishmania infantum · Leishmaniasis · Parasite hosting · Pathology · Population · Prevalence · Serology · Veterinary medicine · Visceral leishmaniasis · Ecology · Epidemiology · Immunology · Internal Medicine · Leptospirosis research and findings · Medicine · Research on Leishmaniasis Studies · Trypanosoma species research and implications