Abstract

ROMERO PENUELA, Marlyn Hellen  and  SANCHEZ VALENCIA, Jorge Alberto. USE OF RECOMBINANT ANTIGENS FOR SEROLOGICAL EVALUATION OF CANINE VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS AND TRIPANOSOMIASIS. Biosalud [online]. 2009, vol.8, n.1, pp.77-83. ISSN 1657-9550.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in order to evaluate the seroprevalence of zoonotic visceral Leishmaniasis and American Trypanosomiasis in 211 mongrel dogs from an endemic area for the two protozoans in southern Tolima. Serum anti-Leishmania infantum and anti-Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies were determined by ELISA and Western Blot techniques, using rK39 and TESA recombinant antigens respectively. The Xenodiagnosis was performed on the seropositive to T. cruzi. According to the results, 40.28% (85/211) and 1.42% (3/211) of the dogs tested positive for antibodies against L. infantum and T. cruzi respectively. The Xenodiagnosis was negative. The results suggest that dogs may play an important role as reservoirs of L. infantum and infection sources for children in the study area. However, dogs may play a limited role in the transmission of T. cruzi. It is necessary to have an algorithm for diagnostic tests to confirm the actual status of the animals’ infection and to establish the presence of cross-reactions or co-infections.

Keywords : rk39 antigen; TESA antigens; ELISA; zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis; Western Blot.

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