Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Leishmania antibodies found in dogs from Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
By Arjona-Jiménez, Guadalupe et al.·Published in Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·2012·Campus de Ciencias Bioló·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of antibodies against three species of Leishmania (L. mexicana, L. braziliensis, L. infantum) and possible associated factors in dogs from Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 30.2% of dogs in Mérida, Mexico, tested positive for antibodies against Leishmania mexicana, a parasite that can cause serious health issues. The research involved 218 dogs and also detected lower rates of antibodies for Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania infantum. Interestingly, there was no link between the presence of these antibodies and factors like breed, age, or skin problems. This suggests that many dogs in the area may be exposed to these parasites, which could be a concern for their health.
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Abstract
Leishmania spp. has been recorded in humans and in dogs, and numerous studies have demonstrated that dogs act as reservoirs for visceral leishmaniasis. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of three species of the Leishmania genus and possible associated factors in sera of 218 dogs from two different populations in Mérida, Yucatán (Mexico). The sera were analyzed to detect antibodies against L. mexicana, L. braziliensis, and L. infantum using the superoxide dismutase- enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (SOD-ELISA) and Western blot as confirmation. The Fe-SOD excreted was used as the antigenic fraction for the three Leishmania species. The prevalence values found were 30.2% (L. mexicana), 8.2% (L. braziliensis), and 11.9% (L. infantum), with L. mexicana seroprevalence being greater than L. braziliensis and L. infantum (p<0.05). Five percent (11/218) of the dogs showed antibodies against L. mexicana/L. braziliensis, 5.5% (12/218) with L. mexicana/L. infantum and 1.8% (4/218) with L. mexicana/L. braziliensis/L. infantum. No relationship (p>0.05) was found between antibodies against L. mexicana and breed, age, physical condition, or cutaneous lesions in dogs. This study provides evidence of antibodies against L. mexicana, L. braziliensis and L. infantum in dog populations from Mérida, Mexico.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22321575/