Distribuição espaço-temporal dos casos de leishmaniose visceral canina atendidos em Hospital Veterinário de Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, no período de 2018 a 2023 e sobreposição aos casos humanos

Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by the protozoan Leishmania infantum. Dogs are considered the main reservoir of VL in the urban environment. VL is expanding and studies of temporal and spatial distribution are important to identify factors associated with the infection rate of the disease. Therefore, this research aimed to describe the distribution and epidemiological profile of canine and human VL in the city of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, from 2018 to 2023. A retrospective descriptive study was carried out using the database of the Leishmaniasis Laboratory of HOVET-UFMT, in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso. For analysis, data related to diagnostic methods, such as the rapid serological test SNAP IDEXX, and parasitological, by bone marrow and/or lymph node cytology, in addition to clinical-epidemiological aspects and those related to the dogs' living environment were used. Additionally, human cases of VL confirmed in the city of Cuiabá were recovered in the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN). During the period, biological samples from 1.400 dogs were sent to the Leishmaniasis Laboratory. Of these, 552 (39.4%) dogs tested positive. The epidemiological variables linked to dogs and associated with the highest risk factor for infection were: male dogs, of no defined breed, with permanence restricted to the peridomicile and residing in rural areas. Canine infection rates remained moderate and constant between 2018 and 2023 in the city of Cuiabá. Canine and human cases are distributed throughout the city, however, the North and South regions had a higher number of human cases and a higher risk of canine infection compared to the West region. Furthermore, the finding of infected dogs from other cities reinforces the importance of dogs as parasite dispersers and the need for correct diagnosis of dogs to provide more effective control measures to control the spread of VL.