ESTUDO SOROEPIDEMIOLÓGICO PROSPECTIVO DA LEISHMANIOSE VISCERAL AMERICANA CANINA NO MUNICÍPIO DE BOTUCATU, SP

The American Visceral Leishmaniasis (AVL) is a zoonotic disease, exposed to about 200 million people across five continents of the world and has a great impact on public health, due to high mortality in humans. In Brazil, the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) is the main reservoir for AVL, and this animal is the main source of infection for man. This research aimed to evaluate in the paired form within one year, the situation seroepidemiological prospective AVL in dog population of the urban area of 100km2 of Botucatu, SP, which is classified as epidemiologically silent, unreceptive and vulnerable. To the present study, we used 360 dogs randomly selected that were representative of the urban area, which had blood samples taken for the first time at the 41st annual vaccination campaign against rabies. To determine the sample size it was used at the 95% confidence, coupled to an estimation error of about 10%, associated to the casual participation of the animal. After one year, repetitions of blood samples were made on the same dogs, in their homes. The serological diagnostic method used, both times, was the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). The serological results in dogs proved nonreactive. Thus, considering that this study found only paired serological results were also negative in the identification of canine LVA in the city and that the size sampled was significant for the conditions of the research, it can be said that the dog population of the urban area studied was - at the time, without any indication of the occurrence of the disease.