Veterinary clinic "Teky pets" Barquisimeto, Venezuela; Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
Laboratori de Parasitologia, Departament de Biologia, Salut i Medi Ambient, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 2020 Jul;21:100420. doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2020.100420. Epub 2020 Jun 21.
Venezuela is a country where human and canine leishmaniosis due to Leishmania infantum, Leishmania braziliensis and other Leishmania spp. is endemic. However, only limited data is available on canine Leishmania infection in Venezuela. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the prevalence of Leishmania infection in dogs (n = 152) from the states of Lara (n = 91) and Yaracuy (n = 61) in Venezuela by means of serological and molecular methods. Physical examination was performed and blood samples were collected from all dogs. Serology for antibodies reactive with L. infantum and L. braziliensis antigens was assessed by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and detection of Leishmania DNA from blood samples was evaluated by kinetoplast Leishmania real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In addition, Leishmania internal transcribed spacer (ITS-1) RT-PCR was performed on the samples positive by kinetoplast RT-PCR. The prevalence of Leishmania infection based on serological and/or molecular techniques was 11.8%. The seroprevalence for L. infantum and L. braziliensis antigens were 2.1% (3/144) and 8.3% (12/144), respectively. All dogs from the state of Yaracuy were serologically negative to L. infantum while 4.6% (4/86) of the dogs were reactive to L. braziliensis antigen. Fourteen percent (8/58) of the dogs from the state of Lara were positive to L. infantum and 5.2% (3/58) to L. braziliensis antigen. Three dogs were positive to both Leishmania spp. antigens. By RT-PCR, 6.5% (4/61) and 4.4% (4/91) of the dogs were positive for infection in the states of Lara and Yaracuy, respectively. The RT-PCR product of one dog from the state of Yaracuy was sequenced revealing a 100% identity with L. infantum. However, all RT-PCR positive dogs were seronegative to both Leishmania spp. antigens. In conclusion, the positivity for Leishmania spp. infections observed indicates that dogs are frequently infected by L. infantum, L. braziliensis or related Leishmania spp. in Venezuela.
委内瑞拉是一个存在人犬利什曼病（由利什曼原虫、巴西利什曼原虫和其他利什曼原虫引起）的国家。然而，关于委内瑞拉犬利什曼原虫感染的资料有限。本横断面研究的目的是通过血清学和分子方法评估委内瑞拉拉腊州（n=91）和亚拉奎州（n=61）的 152 只犬的利什曼原虫感染流行率。对所有犬进行体格检查并采集血液样本。通过酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）评估针对 L. infantum 和 L. braziliensis 抗原的抗体反应性，并通过锥虫实时聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）评估血液样本中利什曼原虫 DNA 的检测。此外，对锥虫 RT-PCR 阳性的样本进行利什曼原虫内部转录间隔区（ITS-1）RT-PCR。基于血清学和/或分子技术的利什曼原虫感染流行率为 11.8%。针对 L. infantum 和 L. braziliensis 抗原的血清阳性率分别为 2.1%（3/144）和 8.3%（12/144）。来自亚拉奎州的所有犬对 L. infantum 血清学均为阴性，而 4.6%（4/86）的犬对 L. braziliensis 抗原呈反应性。来自拉腊州的 14%（8/58）的犬对 L. infantum 呈阳性，5.2%（3/58）对 L. braziliensis 抗原呈阳性。有 3 只犬同时对两种利什曼原虫抗原呈阳性。通过 RT-PCR，拉腊州和亚拉奎州的犬分别有 6.5%（4/61）和 4.4%（4/91）感染。来自亚拉奎州的一只犬的 RT-PCR 产物测序显示与 L. infantum 完全一致。然而，所有 RT-PCR 阳性犬对两种利什曼原虫抗原均呈阴性。综上所述，观察到的利什曼原虫感染阳性表明，委内瑞拉的犬经常感染 L. infantum、L. braziliensis 或相关的利什曼原虫。
