First report of Trypanosoma cruziinfection in naturally infected dogs from southern Bahia, Brazil

• Main Authors: Nilo Fernandes Leça Júnior, Valter dos Anjos Almeida, Fábio Santos Carvalho, George Rego Albuquerque, Fabiana Lessa Silva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Colégio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria
• Series: Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária
• Subjects: Trypanosoma cruzi; dog; PCR; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Bahia
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1984-29612013000100182&lng=en&tlng=en

In order to verify the Trypanosoma cruzi infection in domestic domiciled dogs in a rural endemic area from the south region of the State of Bahia, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) were performed using S35 and S36 primers in 272 dogs living in the district of Vila Operaria, in the municipality of Buerarema. All animals were clinically evaluated; 2.5 mL of blood were collected through venipuncture for the performance of molecular tests. None of these animals showed clinical signs of the illness and only two were identified with the DNA parasite. This result is the first report of natural infection by T. cruzi in domestic dogs in southern Bahia.