First record of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antibodies in stray dogs in the Northwest Region of Parana State, Brazil

• Main Authors: Daniela Dib Gonçalves, Rodrigo Assunção Moura, Marcia Kuster de Paula Dreer, Denise do Amaral Gomes Nascimento, Graziela Vendrame Rodrigues, Isabel Cristina da Silva Caetano, Odilon Vidotto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Estadual de Londrina 2015-08-01
• Series: Semina: Ciências Agrárias
• Subjects: Borreliosis; Canids; Diagnostic; IFA; Western blot
• Online Access: http://www.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/semagrarias/editor/submission/18978

The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of B. burgdorferi sensu lato s.l. antibodies in stray dogs of the urban area of Umuarama Town, localized in the northwest region of Parana state, Brazil. Serum samples from 168 dogs were tested using indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and Western Blot (WB) in order to detect anti-Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. antibodies. The IFI analysis was used as screening test and positive results were confirmed employing the WB technique. Sixty-five (38.69%) of 168 serum samples were positive in the IFI; 54 of them (83.07%) were confirmed by the WB. The overall data analysis confirmed the presence of anti-B. burgdorferi s.l. antibodies in 32.14% (54/168) dogs, what suggests that northwest region of Parana State may constitute a risk area for Lyme disease. Further studies are necessary to determine the epidemiological characteristics of this disease in the region studied.