Background: This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of canine visceral leishmaniasis in Meshkin-Shahr district
as endemic areas of human visceral leishmaniasis (HVL) for presenting control program of HVL to health authorities.
Methods: A seroepidemiological study to determine seroprevalence of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) among ownership
dogs using direct agglutination tests (DAT) in 21 villages of Meshkin-Shahr district, Ardabil Province was carried out
from June 2006 to August 2007. Three hundred and eighty four ownership dogs were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling.
Chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used to compare seroprevalence values relative to gender, age and clinical
signs.
Results: Of the 384 serum samples tested by DAT, 17.4 %( 95%C.I, 13.2%-20.8%) were positive (1:320 and higher). No
statistical significant difference was found between male (16.5%) and female (20.2%) seroprevalence (P=0.416). The highest
seroprevalence rate (64.2%) was observed among the ownership dogs of three years age and above. Only 25.4% of the
seropositive dogs had clinical signs and symptoms. The most clinical signs among symptomatic dogs were cachexia (75%)
and alopecia (36.5%).
Conclusion: The majority of seropositive dogs (74.6%) lived in endemic areas of Meshkin-Shahr district were asymptomatic.
It seems that all symptomatic and asymptomatic infected dogs are the most important risk factors for human infection in
VL endemic areas.
کلید واژگان :
Canine visceral leishmaniasis, Seroepidemiology, Direct agglutination test, Iran
