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. 2021 Sep 6:54:e01822021.
doi: 10.1590/0037-8682-0182-2021. eCollection 2021.

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

Anaiá da Paixão Sevá  1   2 , Ana Pérola Drulla Brandão  1 , Silvia Neri Godoy  3 , Rodrigo Martins Soares  1 , Helio Langoni  4 , Bruna Cristine Rodrigues  5 , Mariana Zanchetta E Gava  4 , Paula Ferraz de Camargo Zanotto  4 , Tatiana Jimenez-Villegas  1 , Roberto Hiramoto  5 , Fernando Ferreira  1
Affiliations

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

Anaiá da Paixão Sevá et al. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. .

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.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1:
FIGURE 1:. Neighborhoods of Abaitinga and Gaviões where residences were sampled in the São Miguel Arcanjo municipality of São Paulo, Brazil. CBSP: Carlos Botelho State Park.
FIGURE 2:
FIGURE 2:. Dog population dynamics in the study area, according to the years of study. Number inside the boxes indicated the number of dogs. Total number of sampled dogs (brown boxes); dogs that were not recollected due to deaths or exits (red boxes); and new dogs included due to births or entries (green boxes).
FIGURE 3:
FIGURE 3:. The number of dogs sampled (brown boxes) and seropositivity for DPP (Rapid Test - purple circles), IFA (Immunofluorescent Assay - green circles), and ELISA (Immunoenzymatic Assay - red circles), according to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd collection.
FIGURE 4:
FIGURE 4:. The number of seropositive samples for DPP (Rapid Test - purple circles), IFA (Immunofluorescent Assay - green circles), and ELISA (Immunoenzymatic Assay - red circles), who were tested by PCR of conjunctival swabs and lymph nodes in all samples.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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