Level of Knowledge and Risk Factors for Visceral Leishmaniasis in a Mining Area of Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

Aiming to optimize and adjust leishmaniasis prevention and control measures for the resident population of Pains, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, a structured questionnaire containing conceptual questions and questions about household characteristics was used to evaluate knowledge level and exposure risk. A total of 396 individuals were interviewed revealing unscientific and fragmented knowledge about the subject for most of the studied population. The female population was found to have 1.

Potential Vectors of Leishmania Parasites in a Recent Focus of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Neighborhoods of Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

In view of recent cases of human and canine visceral leishmaniasis reported in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, we investigated the sand fly fauna inhabiting the neighborhoods of Morro Santana and Jardim Carvalho, Brazil, continuing a series of entomological surveys aimed to identify potential vectors of Leishmania (Ross, 1903) parasites. Sand flies were collected monthly from October 2016 to October 2017 using CDC light traps in the intradomiciliary and peridomiciliary environments of seven residences. Sand fly abundance was correlated to climatic variables.

Performance of different serological tests in the diagnosis of natural infection by Leishmania infantum in dogs.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a zoonosis caused by the parasite Leishmania infantum and the dog is its main reservoir in rural and urban areas. The diagnosis of infection is mainly based on the presence of anti-Leishmania IgG antibodies in the serum of infected dogs. In this study, the sensitivity and specificity of qualitative rapid tests (RTs) dual path platform (DPP) Bio-Manguinhos, rapid enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) IDEXX, Kalazar Detect and ALERE, as well as quantitative ELISA Bio-Manguinhos and in-house indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) tests were analyzed in sera from infected and uninfected dogs.

Vaccinia Virus among Domestic Dogs and Wild Coatis, Brazil, 2013-2015.

To determine their potential role as a source of human infection, we tested domestic dogs (urban) and wild coatis (wild) in Brazil for vaccinia virus. Our findings of positive neutralizing antibodies and quantitative PCR results for 35/184 dogs and 13/90 coatis highlight a potential public health risk.

Detection of Vaccinia Virus in Urban Domestic Cats, Brazil.

We investigated possible vaccinia virus (VACV) in urban house cats in Brazil. Serum samples from 6 cats were positive for VACV by PCR, indicating likely VACV circulation among house cats in urban areas of Brazil. This finding highlights the importance of epidemiologic surveillance to avoid outbreaks among urban human populations.