Leptospirose crônica assintomática em cães de trabalho

Abstract

Working dogs are potentially exposed to various pathogens, such as Leptospira spp., considering the different situations they are subjected to perform their activities. Given the severity of leptospirosis, the public health risk, and the need for targeted studies on the epidemiology of leptospirosis in asymptomatic animals, the objective was to identify chronically infected working dogs. A total of 161 blood and urine samples were collected from working dogs from Army kennels (three regions of the country) and the Military Police of Bahia for serological testing (MAT), attempts at bacterial isolation, and molecular diagnosis (qPCR) of leptospirosis. In the MAT, 21 (13.04%) dogs were seroreactive (titers ≥ 100). The highest seroprevalences were for the Djasiman serogroup (28.57%), Australis (19.04%), followed by Canicola (14.28%) and Hebdomadis (9.52%). In relation to the microbiological diagnosis, the cultures were negative. However, DNA amplification was detected in 6 (3.72%) urine samples from asymptomatic dogs vaccinated with commercial bacterins at most 5 months before collection. Urinary shedding of leptospires by vaccinated chronic carriers is an important factor in the epidemiology of the disease and contributes to the exposure of animals and humans in the same location. Despite receiving all available health care, these dogs carry Leptospira sp., a fact that reinforces the need for a multidisciplinary diagnostic approach and immunization protocols aimed at the local epidemiological scenario.