Casuistry of canine visceral leishmaniosis registered in Corrientes (Argentina) during the period 2014-2016

Abstract

Since the years 2014 to 2016, cases of visceral leishmaniosis were investigated in canines examined at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences of Corrientes, Argentina. The study was carried out through the indirect method (detection of antibodies against the rk39 antigen in venous blood serum) and the direct test (extraction of bone marrow by ribs puncture and microscopic observation of amastigotes). During these three years, 409 patients were examined. In 2014 there were 22/89 positive cases (24.7%), in 2015 there were 39/164 positive cases (23.7%) and in 2016 there were 56/156 positive patients (35.8%). In all cases, the canines were positive for both methods. The average prevalence of leishmaniosis in canines studied during this period was 28.6%. It is emphasized that in presence of patients suspected of suffering visceral canine leishmaniosis, serological (indirect) and parasitological (direct) diagnostic methods should be performed together.