Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Antibodies to three parasites found in dogs from Para Brazil
By Valadas, Samantha et al.·Published in Parasitology research·2010·Faculdade de Medicina Veteriná, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Occurrence of antibodies anti-Neospora caninum, anti-Toxoplasma gondii, and anti-Leishmania chagasi in serum of dogs from Pará State, Amazon, Brazil.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study in Brazil found that many dogs tested positive for three different parasites: Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, and Leishmania chagasi. Out of 129 dogs, nearly 70% had antibodies for T. gondii, about 12% for N. caninum, and 23% for L. chagasi. Interestingly, some dogs had antibodies for all three parasites at once, mostly in urban areas. The results showed that female dogs and those living in cities were more likely to test positive for Leishmania. This information can help pet owners understand the risks of these infections in their dogs and discuss preventive measures with their veterinarian.
People also search for: dog parasite symptoms · Toxoplasma gondii in dogs · Leishmania treatment for dogs
Abstract
A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the occurrence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii, anti-Neospora caninum, and anti- Leishmania chagasi antibodies in dogs of the state of Pará, Brazil. For this purpose, 129 blood samples were collected from dogs of different ages and gender. Samples of 72 dogs were collected from 39 rural properties from 19 municipalities, and 57 samples were from stray dogs, collected after captivity by the Center of Zoonosis Control from the municipality of Santarém. The sera were analyzed for anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum antibodies by indirect fluorescent antibody tests with cutoff values of 1:16 and 1:50, respectively. For the presence of L. chagasi antibodies, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used and positive results were confirmed by immunochromatographic method using the recombinant antigen K39. Of the total of 129 dogs, 90 (69.8%) were positive for T. gondii, 16 (12.4%) for N. caninum, and 30 (23.3%) for L. chagasi. Antibodies for all three parasites were found simultaneously in seven dogs (5.4%), mostly in urban dogs (six of seven). No association was observed related to gender and location (urban or rural) of dogs and occurrence of N. caninum and T. gondii antibodies although, regarding L. chagasi, higher prevalence was found in females (P < 0.02) and in dogs from urban location (P < 0.001). From the 39 farms, in 30 (76.9%) at least one dog was positive for T. gondii or N. caninum or both. Higher occurrence of Leishmania antibodies was observed in N. caninum-negative dogs (P < 0.05).
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20445991/