Investigation of canine visceral leishmaniasis in a non-endemic area in Brazil and the comparison of serological and molecular diagnostic tests

Author(s):Show less -

Anaiá da Paixão Sevá ; Ana Pérola Drulla Brandão ^[2] ; Silvia Neri Godoy ^[3] ; Rodrigo Martins Soares ^[4] ; Helio Langoni ^[5] ; Bruna Cristine Rodrigues ^[6] ; Mariana Zanchetta e Gava ^[7] ; Paula Ferraz de Camargo Zanotto ^[8] ; Tatiana Jimenez-Villegas ^[9] ; Roberto Hiramoto ^[10] ; Fernando Ferreira ^[11]

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical; v. 54, 2021-09-06.

Abstract

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an important zoonosis in Brazil. Previous identification of parasitized dogs can also help prevent the disease in humans, even in non-endemic areas of the country. The Brazilian Ministry of Health recommends diagnosis in dogs using a DPP® (rapid test) as a screening test and an immunoenzymatic assay (ELISA) as a confirmatory test (DPP®+ELISA), and culling infected dogs as a legal control measure. However, the accuracy of these serological tests has been questioned. METHODS: VL in dogs was investigated in a non-endemic area of the São Paulo state for three consecutive years, and the performances of different diagnostic tests were compared. RESULTS: A total of 331 dog samples were collected in 2015, 373 in 2016, and 347 in 2017. The seroprevalence by DPP®+ELISA was 3.3, 3.2, and 0.3%, respectively, and by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), it was 3.0, 5.6, and 5.5%, respectively. ELISA confirmed 18.4% of DPP® positive samples. The concordance between the IFA and DPP® was 83.9%. The concordance between IFA and DPP®+ELISA was 92.9%. A molecular diagnostic test (PCR) was performed in 63.2% of the seropositive samples, all of which were negative. CONCLUSIONS: In non-endemic areas, diagnostic tests in dogs should be carefully evaluated to avoid false results. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/21966-6 - Epidemiological investigation of domestic dogs that inhabit the surrounding Carlos Botelho State Park - São Paulo, Brazil: its implication on animal, environmental and public health
• Grantee: Anaiá da Paixão Sevá
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 15/21954-8 - Free-ranging domestic dogs and cats in Carlos Botelho State Park: what are the impacts on wild carnivores and implications for public health?
• Grantee: Fernando Ferreira
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants