Canine visceral leishmaniasis epidemiological survey in three sanitary districts of Salvador, Bahia state, Brazil

Abstract

The goal of the present work was to investigate the occurence of canine Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) in Itapuã, Cajazeiras and Pau da Lima sanitary districts (SD), all belonging to the city of Salvador. In order to achieve it, a canine epidemiological and entomological surveys were applied as an epidemiological questionnaire to the owners of the animals sampled and to the veterinary physicians of the city. The study detected six VL seropositive dogs among the eight hundred and eleven ones randomly sampled. It was not possible to determine the autoctonous condition for L. chagasi infection. One animal was positive by culture of splenic material and in the entomologic survey of the vector, Lutzomyia longipalpis, none was captured. Veterinary clinicians from 41.7% of the clinics evaluated reported the diagnostic of, at least, one VL case in Salvador domiciliated dogs. The SD of Itapuã, Cajazeiras and Pau da Lima presented VL transmission risk once there is Leishmania parasite occurrence in the municipality, verified in this study by splenic culturing of an animal aspirative puncture, previous record of vector (L. longipalpis) presence in the Itapuã district by the Bahia State Health Agency (SESAB) and canine VL diagnostics by veterinary doctors from clinics all around the city of Salvador. This work is the first epidemiological analysis of this zoonosis in these SD and they point out the need to perform sampled entomological and serological surveys in all areas of the city. The development of a VL surveillance system may contribute for monitoring the disease in Salvador.