Seroepidemiological survey of paracoccidioidomycosis infection among urban and rural dogs from Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Abstract

There is some evidence that dogs can be naturally infected by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis in endemic areas of paracoccidioidomycosis. In order to evaluate canine infection with this fungus, a survey with 149 urban and 126 rural dogs was carried out using ELISA and intradermal tests with the gp43 antigen of P. brasiliensis in Uberaba, Minas Gerais state of Brazil. Forty-one out of 149 urban dogs were euthanatized and had their lungs, liver and spleen removed. One slice from each viscera was processed for histopathological examination and the remaining was homogenized and then cultivated on mycobiotic agar at room temperature and Fava-Netto medium at 35 degrees C and observed for 12 weeks. Of urban dogs, 75 (50.3%) were small adult females, 56 (36%) were strays, while 93 (64%) had been donated to the municipal zoonosis control center. Nine (6.2%) had a positive intradermal test without statistical differences regarding gender, race, nutritional status or origin. No colonies with microscopic or morphology appearances resembling P. brasiliensis were isolated, nor granulomatous process or fungal structures were observed from histopathological examination. Eighty (53.6%) of the urban dogs presented seroreactivity, without statistical differences regarding gender, race, nutritional state, origin, or positive intradermal test. Of 126 rural dogs, 102 (80.5%) presented antibodies against gp43 antigen, and this was statistically significant in relation to the reactivity detected in urban dogs (P = 0.0001). Thus, dogs are commonly infected with P. brasiliensis, but they probably present natural resistance to develop paracoccidioidomycosis.

• Authors: Fabricio Fernandes Fontana, Celso Tadeu Barbosa dos Santos, Flavia Maria Esteves, Ademir Rocha, Geisa Ferreira Fernandes, Cristiane Candida do Amaral, Marcos Abel Domingues, Zoilo Pires De Camargo, Mario León Silva-Vergara
• Journal: Mycopathologia (Mycopathologia) Vol. 169 Issue 3 Pg. 159-65 (Mar 2010) ISSN: 1573-0832 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 19768574 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Fungal
• Antigens, Fungal

Topics

• Animals
• Antibodies, Fungal (blood)
• Antigens, Fungal
• Brazil (epidemiology)
• Dog Diseases (epidemiology, microbiology)
• Dogs
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
• Female
• Histocytochemistry
• Liver (microbiology, pathology)
• Lung (microbiology, pathology)
• Male
• Microscopy
• Paracoccidioides (immunology)
• Paracoccidioidomycosis (epidemiology, veterinary)
• Seroepidemiologic Studies
• Skin Tests
• Spleen (microbiology, pathology)