OCORRÊNCIA E ASPECTOS CLÃNICOS DA LEISHMANIOSE EM CÃES OBSERVADOS NO HOSPITAL VETERINÃRIO DA UTAD

Abstract

The leishmanioses, endemic diseases in around90 countries, are considered the third most important groupof vector-borne diseases (only behind malaria and lymphaticfilariases). Dogs are the main reservoir of the   Leishmaniainfantum , which is transmitted among dogs and to humanbeings by phlebotomine sand fly insects. In recent years, thenumber of canine leishmaniosis (CanL) cases has beenincreasing considerably in the southern European countries.Towards the diagnosis of CanL as a disease, besides clinicalexamination, it is necessary to confirm infection throughcomplementally laboratories analyses. This work intends togive a contribution to the understanding of aspects relatedwith the occurrence of leishmaniosis in dogs brought to theVeterinary Hospital of the University of Trás-os-Montes eAlto Douro (HV-UTAD), since they constitute a sampleconsidered to be representative of the dog population livingin this area of Portugal.Index Terms ⎯ cães, epidemiologia, Leishmania.