Detection of antibodies against Leishmania infantum in cats (Felis catus) from the State of Pernambuco, Brazil

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical Vol. 47; no. 1; pp. 108 - 109
• Main Authors: Silva, Rita de Cássia Nascimento, Ramos, Rafael Antonio Nascimento, Pimentel, Danillo de Souza, Oliveira, Gênova Maria de Azevedo, Carvalho, Gílcia Aparecida de, Santana, Marília de Andrade, Faustino, Maria Aparecida da Glória, Alves, Leucio Câmara
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 01.01.2014; Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical - SBMT; Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT)
• Subjects: Animal diseases; Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; Antibody; Brazil; Cat Diseases - diagnosis; Cat Diseases - immunology; Cats; Domestic animals; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary; Epidemiology; Feline; Female; Leishmania; Leishmania infantum - immunology; Leishmaniasis, Visceral - immunology; Leishmaniasis, Visceral - veterinary; Male; Parasitic diseases; TROPICAL MEDICINE; Vector-borne diseases; Brazil; Antibody; Feline; Leishmania
• ISSN: 0037-8682; 1678-9849; 1678-9849
• DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0005-2012

Little information is available concerning infection by Leishmania infantum in cats. Therefore, the aim of this study was to perform a serological study in domestic cats. Serum samples (n=153) obtained from animals living in the Cities of Recife and Petrolina, State of Pernambuco, Brazil, were tested by ELISA/S7® (Biogene). Anti-L. infantum antibodies were detected in 3.9% (6/153) of the cats. All seroreagent animals were from Petrolina. These results serve as an important alert, and future studies are needed to better understand the possible role of cats in the epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in this area.