Prospective study of canine leptospirosis in shelter and stray dog populations: Identification of chronic carriers and different Leptospira species infecting dogs.

ABSTRACT: Dogs are highly susceptible to the leptospiral infection, notably stray and sheltered dogs. Unsanitary conditions often observed in dog shelters may predispose the introduction and spread of leptospires among sheltered populations, potentially increasing the chances for the inadvertent adoption of asymptomatically infected animals. The present work describes a longitudinal study using a multidisciplinary approach for the identification of chronically infected dogs and the characterization of potentially pathogenic strains circulating among stray and sheltered dog populations in São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 123 dogs from three populations were included. The initial evaluation consisted of blood and urine quantitative PCR testing (qPCR), the detection of specific antibodies by microscopic a

SUBMITTER: Miotto BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6040711 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature