Conjunctival swab samples for canine leishmaniasis detection by PCR

• Grant number: 11/00147-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: April 01, 2011 - March 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Trícia Maria Ferreira de Sousa Oliveira
• Grantee: Trícia Maria Ferreira de Sousa Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Rosangela Zacarias Machado ; Wilma Aparecida Starke Buzetti

Abstract

Leishmaniasis are diseases caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania. They are transmitted to different species of mammals by the bite of insect vectors and have as reservoirs wild and domestic mammals. In Brazil, the specie responsible for the most severe disease form, visceral leishmaniasis is Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi, transmitted to humans manly by Lutzomyia longipalpis sandfly. Previously described as a disease of wild or rural areas, currently, there are a large number of disease cases in urban areas. Dogs are considered the main domestic reservoir of visceral leishmaniasis and in consequence, are also the main target of campaigns to control human visceral leishmaniasis. Dogs also suffer with the disease, and once clinical signs started, invariably come to death. However, some animals remain infected by the parasite, without any clinical signs for a long period, transmitting L. (L.) i. chagasi to the vectors. Canine leishmaniasis diagnose can be made by direct and indirect methods, like smears preparations from different lymphoid organs, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), parasite cultivation in vitro and serological methods as Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA). PCR has high sensitivity and specificity, according to the sample of tissue used. Bone marrow samples are more sensitive than whole blood; however, bone marrow is much more complex to collect. PCR of conjunctival swabs, a non invasive technique, showed good specificity and sensitivity in recent research, but it is not widely used in routine diagnosis. The proposed project aims to test and compare the use of conjunctival swab samples for PCR analysis with whole blood PCR and IFA and determine the molecular and serological prevalence of positive animals in Ilha Solteira-SP. (AU)

Scientific publications

(5)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

BENASSI, JULIA CRISTINA; BENVENGA, GRAZIELLA U.; FERREIRA, HELENA LAGE; PEREIRA, VANESSA F.; KEID, LARA B.; SOARES, RODRIGO; FERREIRA DE SOUSA OLIVEIRA, TRICIA MARIA. Detection of Leishmania infantum DNA in conjunctival swabs of cats by quantitative real-time PCR. Experimental Parasitology, v. 177, p. 93-97, JUN 2017. (11/00147-6)

FERREIRA DE SOUSA OLIVEIRA, TRICIA MARIA; PEREIRA, VANESSA FIGUEREDO; BENVENGA, GRAZIELLA ULBRICHT; ALVES MARTIN, MARIA FERNANDA; BENASSI, JULIA CRISTINA; DA SILVA, DIOGO TIAGO; STARKE-BUZETTI, WILMA APARECIDA. Uso da PCR de suabe conjuntival para detecção de Leishmania spp. em gatos. Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária, v. 24, n. 2, p. 220-222, APR-JUN 2015. (11/00147-6)

BENASSI, JULIA C.; BENVENGA, GRAZIELLA U.; FERREIRA, HELENA L.; SOARES, RODRIGO M.; SILVA, DIOGO T.; PEREIRA, VANESSA F.; RUIZ, VERA LETTICIE A.; OLIVEIRA, TRICIA MARIA F. DE S.. Detecção molecular e sorológica de infecção por Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum em cavalos na região Sudeste do Brasil. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira, v. 38, n. 6, p. 1058-1063, JUN 2018. (11/00147-6, 13/19821-4)

VERDE OLIVEIRA ROCHA, ANA VITORIA; SODRE MORENO, BRENDA FERNANDA; CABRAL, ALINE DINIZ; LOUZEIRO, NAYARA MENDES; MIRANDA, LEANDRO MACEDO; BRANDAO DOS SANTOS, VIVIAN MAGALHAES; COSTA, FRANCISCO BORGES; SEABRA NOGUEIRA, RITA DE MARIA; MARCILI, ARLEI; SPERANCA, MARCIA APARECIDA; et al. Diagnosis and epidemiology of Leishmania infantum in domestic cats in an endemic area of the Amazon region, Brazil. Veterinary Parasitology, v. 273, p. 80-85, SEP 2019. (13/26096-4, 11/00147-6, 16/14514-4, 10/50886-7)

PEREIRA, VANESSA FIGUEREDO; BENASSI, JULIA CRISTINA; STARKE-BUZETTI, WILMA APARECIDA; SILVA, DIOGO TIAGO; FERREIRA, HELENA LAGE; KEID, LARA BORGES; SOARES, RODRIGO MARTINS; DE AZEVEDO RUIZ, VERA LETTICIE; FERREIRA DE SOUSA OLIVEIRA, TRICIA MARIA. Detection of canine visceral leishmaniasis by conjunctival swab PCR. Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical, v. 49, n. 1, p. 104-106, JAN-FEB 2016. (11/00147-6)