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Year 2018 - Volume 38, Number 6
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Molecular and serological detection of Leishmania spp. in horses from an endemic area for canine visceral leishmaniasis in southeastern Brazil, 38(6):1058-1063
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ABSTRACT.- Benassi J.C., Benvenga G.U., Ferreira H.L., Soares R.M., Silva D.T., Pereira V.F., Ruiz V.L.A. & Oliveira T.M.F.S. 2018. Molecular and serological detection of Leishmania spp. in horses from an endemic area for canine visceral leishmaniasis in southeastern Brazil. [Detecção molecular e sorológica de infecção por Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum em cavalos na região Sudeste do Brasil.] Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 38(6):1058-1063. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Duque de Caxias Norte 225, Jardim Elite, Pirassununga, SP 13635-900, Brazil. E-mail: tricia@usp.br
This study aimed to verify the occurrence of Leishmania spp. and Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum in horses from a visceral leishmaniasis endemic area in Brazil. DNA samples from blood and conjunctival swab (CS) were tested by PCR and Indirect Immunofluorescence Antibody Test (IFAT). Although none of the horses was clinically sick, animals infected by Leishmania spp. were found and some could be characterized as infected by L. (L.) infantum. From 40 horses, 100% of the animals were positive by blood PCR, 90% (36/40) by CS PCR, and 2.5% (01/40) in serodiagnosis, by IFAT. Six from these 40 horses were L. (L.) infantum positive by blood PCR. Direct sequencing and analysis of amplicons resulted in a sequence to evolutionary analysis. Results indicate the presence of Leishmania spp. and L. (L.) infantum infecting healthy horses in Brazil. The presence of Leishmania spp. and L. (L.) infantum DNA in asymptomatic horses suggests that they can be important reservoirs of these parasites, a highly relevant finding for the epidemiological surveillance of the diseases they cause. |
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