A DOG SEROLOGIC STUDY OF LEPTOSPIROSIS IN THE CITY OF SANTANA DE PARNAÍBA, STATE OF SÃO PAULO, DURING THE 1999 RABIES VACCINATION CAMPAIGN

ABSTRACT

This work aimed to evaluate the zoonotic potential of the canine population in the City of Santana de Parnaíba, State of São Paulo, related to leptospirosis. This study was held during the 1999 rabies vaccination campaign, when 410 serum samples were collected and a questionnaire was applied to the dogs’ owners to describe an epidemiologic profile of this population and conduce the statistical analysis, to assess the risk factors. The diagnostic method run for leptospiroses was the microtechnique of microscopic agglutination using a batch of 22 leptospiral serovars. The results obtained indicated 15% positive serum samples and the most frequent reactant serovars were copenhageni (24%), canícola (16%) and hardjo (16%). The statistical analysis of the questionnaire showed significant correlation between animal age and positive serum samples for leptospirosis.

KEY WORDS:
Epidemiologic profile; dogs; leptospirosis.