INFECTION BY Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, Leishmania major AND Trypanosoma cruzi IN DOGS FROM THE STATE OF PARÁ

Abstract

A serological inquiry was performed to Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi in dogs from the city of Castanhal and Belém, State of Pará, and the association between seropositive animals and factors such as sex, age, access to the streets and provenance of the animals was studied. 269 healthy dogs with different ages, coming from animal shelters, commercial kennels, Zoonosis Control Centre, and domiciles were used. The Indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) reaction was used with plates sensitized with their respective antigens. Among the 263 samples, 100 were reactant, with 38.0% of positivity for Toxplasma gondii, being 16UI and 64UI the prevalent titers, 15.97% of reagent animals for anti-N. caninum antibodies with higher seroprevalence to titers 25UI and 50UI.At the anti-L. major antibodies research, 3.42% were reagent with the titer 40UI being the prevalent. The research of anti-T.cruzi antibodies revealed negativity in all the samples. The provenance and age range variables have been shown as a risk factor to the animals. The animals from the city of Belém presented 2.6 times more changes of infection than the animals from the city of Castanhal. The animals at the age range from three to seven years old presented 2.27 times more changes of being reagent than the dogs with up to three years old. There was no statistical association to the other variables and protozoa researched. 
Key-words: Toxoplasmosis, Leishmaniasis, Neosporosis, Chagas disease, Domestic animals.