INTRODUCTION: In Trujillo, Venezuela the prevalence for American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) is 38 per 100,000 inhabitants. OBJECTIVE: In a periurban, rural settlement of the capital city Trujillo, we studied the potential capability of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) as a source of infection for Lutzomyia youngi, a phlebotomine sand fly species abundant in the study area and whose domestic vectorial activity has been proven. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dogs with dermal lesions suggestive of ATL and parasitological confirmation of infection, were selected for xenodiagnosis by allowing sylvatic phlebotomines from a ATL free area, to feed ad libitum over each animal's entire body surface. The insects' intestinal tracts were dissected 5 days after the blood meal in order to look for flagellate forms. When these were found, parasitological identification was performed by the multiplex-PCR technique. RESULTS: Four hundred and fifty five sand flies engorged over two dogs in three different assays; promastigotes were found in 4 (0.88%) of the specimens on only one occasion. PCR identified DNA of the Leishmania Viannia subgenus. CONCLUSION: The household dog has the potential of being a domestic risk factor in the ATL transmission cycle.
INTRODUCTION: In Trujillo, Venezuela the prevalence for American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) is 38 per 100,000 inhabitants. OBJECTIVE: In a periurban, rural settlement of the capital city Trujillo, we studied the potential capability of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) as a source of infection for Lutzomyia youngi, a phlebotomine sand fly species abundant in the study area and whose domestic vectorial activity has been proven. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Dogs with dermal lesions suggestive of ATL and parasitological confirmation of infection, were selected for xenodiagnosis by allowing sylvatic phlebotomines from a ATL free area, to feed ad libitum over each animal's entire body surface. The insects' intestinal tracts were dissected 5 days after the blood meal in order to look for flagellate forms. When these were found, parasitological identification was performed by the multiplex-PCR technique. RESULTS: Four hundred and fifty five sand flies engorged over two dogs in three different assays; promastigotes were found in 4 (0.88%) of the specimens on only one occasion. PCR identified DNA of the Leishmania Viannia subgenus. CONCLUSION: The household dog has the potential of being a domestic risk factor in the ATL transmission cycle.
Authors: Julián Santaella; Clara B Ocampo; Nancy G Saravia; Fabián Méndez; Rafael Góngora; Maria Adelaida Gomez; Leonard E Munstermann; Rupert J Quinnell Journal: Am J Trop Med Hyg Date: 2011-05 Impact factor: 2.345
Authors: José E Calzada; Azael Saldaña; Kadir González; Chystrie Rigg; Vanessa Pineda; Ana María Santamaría; Indra Rodríguez; Nicole L Gottdenker; Marcia D Laurenti; Luis F Chaves Journal: Parasitology Date: 2015-05-20 Impact factor: 3.234
Authors: Wilmer Alcazar; Sami Alakurtti; Maritza Padrón-Nieves; Maija Liisa Tuononen; Noris Rodríguez; Jari Yli-Kauhaluoma; Alicia Ponte-Sucre Journal: Microorganisms Date: 2021-02-04