CANINE VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS IN THE GREAT ATHENS AREA, GREECE

A survey of 1,175 dogs with suspected visceral leishmaniasis (VL), was carried out to investigate canine leishmaniasis in the Athens basin, the largest metropolitan area of Greece. The dogs examined were not a random sample since animals were selected on the basis of symptoms ind icating the disease. Dog sera were tested using the indirect fluoresce nt antibody technique (IFAT), with titres greater than or equal to 1/2 00 considered positive for VL. On this basis 569 dogs (48.4%) were fou nd positive for VL and 69 (5.9%) borderline (with titres of 1/100). Ad ditionally, 218 of these sera were also tested by enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). Of this sample, 120 were negative and 88 were p ositive with both IFAT and ELISA (according to the slated criteria), a nd thus the concordance of the two methods was 98.6%. Dogs positive fo r VL were classified according to age, sex, breed, and area of residen ce. Dogs from outlying areas of the Athens basin had higher infection rates than dogs from the city. The most affected breed was the Doberma n, and the least affected was the Collie.