Validation of a Leishmania infantum ELISA rapid test for serological diagnosis of Leishmania chagasi in dogs

Abstract Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) is caused by Leishmania donovani complex parasites including L. donovani , Leishmania infantum and Leishmania chagasi . As some studies suggest that L. chagasi and L. infantum may be very similar or even the same species, the aim of the present study was to evaluate a commercial rapid ELISA test, originally designed for L. infantum , in the diagnosis of CVL in dogs naturally infected by L. chagasi . A total of 400 serum canine samples, including 283 positive dogs for CVL from an endemic area, 86 clinically healthy dogs from a non-endemic area and 31 dogs seropositive for confounding infectious agents ( Trypanosoma cruzi , Toxoplasma gondii , Neospora caninum , Babesia canis and Ehrlichia canis ) were used for test validation. An overall sensitivity of 94.7% (95% CI = 91.41–97.01%) and specificity of 90.6% (95% CI = 83.80–95.21%) was found, with a high degree of agreement ( k  = 0.8445) to the indirect ELISA. When confounding infectious diseases were excluded, specificity increased to 100% (95% CI = 95.8–100%), with a higher degree of agreement ( k  = 0.8928). In conclusion, the commercial kit designed for L. infantum was a highly sensitive and specific device for detection of L. chagasi infection in dogs, which indicates high immunoreactivity similarities between L. infantum and L. chagasi .